Rise of the Bluejay
by Shapeshifter99
Summary: It's been 3 years since the Team defeated the Light. Now a much larger group, the Team is given a mission; protect a girl because the Shadows want her. Rob/Original char, Night/Zatanna. Rated T just in case!
1. Chapter 1 New Faces and New Missions

Ok, so right here I imagined it about 3-4 years after season 1 ended. So basically, Aqualad, Rocket and Zatanna are still part of the team, but they're probably going to join the League soon. Dick is now Nightwing, and Batman has found himself a new protégé, while all of the other newbies have become part of the team (Blue Beetle, Wonder Girl, Lagoon Boy, etc...). I'm thinking that Beast Boy JUST became a member, so his wounds are still pretty raw (watch season 2, episode 2 to know what I'm talking about.). In terms of the plot itself, the team has been given a mission, one that they know nothing about. O.o Well, enjoy and tell me what you guys think!

* * *

It was a normal day at the cave. Well, as normal as you could get, with a group of young superheroes lived in the old Justice League headquarters and being briefed on their next mission.

"It is imperative that you keep this mission _covert_," Batman said, narrowing his eyes at the young team through his mask.

It had happened often before that the Dark Knight had pointed this out to the youngsters on previous missions, which only landed on deaf ears, causing the missions to be a failure. Like when they had been sent to investigate alien activity in Bialya. And the time they were put in charge of defeating Clayface… Neither of those had been a good time for the Team, or the League for that matter. In brief, if they didn't follow instructions, they would have more problems than a couple of villains on their tail.

"Sooo… What exactly _is_ the mission?" Wally interrupted, bringing Batman out of his thoughts. The shadowy superhero glared at the young speedster, causing the poor guy to shrink away from him slightly.

"If you had been patient, you would have heard the briefing a couple of seconds ago," The bat retorted, causing a smile to tug at the lips of his protégé, Robin II. "Anyway, the team has been put in charge of guarding a young girl by the name of Angel Devine. I trust you can handle that." Batman continued, letting his unseen gaze travel over every member of the team. Only Tim managed to hold his gaze.

"Alright… Is she the daughter of someone important?" Artemis prompted.

The Batman stood quietly for a moment before saying, "No."

"Let me try; she's a queen with assassins after her, like Queen Perdita." Wally guessed, looking at the Dark Knight for a sign of approval.

Again, Batman hesitated. "No."

"I do not understand. Then why are we meant to be protecting her?" Aqualad asked, his forehead creased in confusion. The young hero still was uncertain about leaving the team, despite the fact that Nightwing was more than ready to step up and be leader.

The shadowy League member sighed. "We don't know."

Every single one of the team members' eyebrows lifted in amazement. Batman didn't know? Even Nightwing, leaning against one of the walls near the back, was confused. What was the point of protecting a girl who didn't need protecting?

"I mean that the League knows why you need to protect her," The Batman corrected himself, seeing the stunned disbelief in each of the team members' eyes. "We just don't know beyond that."

"Alright, so I'm guessing the right question is why are we protecting her, period." Connor sighed from the back of the group, hating it when he was in the dark.

"The League of Shadows is after her." The Dark Knight said simply.

* * *

"Wow, wait a minute. Did you say the League of _Shadows_ is after her?" Zatanna's incredulous voice rising above the tumult that had broken out in the team.

"Yea, what would they want with a girl?" Piped up Beastboy, the newest member of the team.

"Does she have superpowers? Is that why they're after her?" M'gann exclaimed.

A hubbub of voices rose from the team. Only Nightwing and Robin seemed to be remaining calm, but the young detective was frowning, his detective mind trying to find some reason why the Shadows would want a normal girl.

"Enough!" Batman barked, making the team fall into silence. "Alright, currently, the League doesn't know a lot more then you know. We're working on it. Until we find out," He said, his voice turning hard. "You will be expected to watch the girl from _a distance_. You will take turns, starting with Alpha Squad. Aqualad, Nightwing, I trust you will take care of organizing the watches."

Both heroes nodded solemnly.

"We have a file on the computer that has everything you need to know about the girl, including regular routines so you will be able to keep a 24 hour watch on her. Understood?" The whole team nodded in agreement. The Dark Knight let out a huff of satisfaction. "Alright. Get yourselves organized and start surveying the girl as soon as possible. All Shadows are to be either chased off, or captured for questioning. Preferably the latter." And with these orders, Batman swept towards the Zeta Tubes. The robotic female voice came on.

"_Batman, O2."_

A flash of light, and the leaguer was gone.

"Alright, Alpha squad will be me, Robin and Artemis. Beta squad will be Superboy, Beastboy and Miss Martian. Lagoon Boy, Blue Beetle and Zatanna, you're Delta squad. Aqualad will lead Gamma squad accompanied by Wonder Girl and Bumblebee. In Omega squad, Kid Flash, Rocket and Batgirl." Nightwing directed, separating the Team into squads for the shifts.

A query came from Kid Flash, which surprised the now-superhero. "What about Red Arrow?"

Nightwing hesitated. Neither he, Kaldur or Wally had heard from their friend in months. Last time he contacted them, the hero had been tracking down the Light, who currently had possession of Match, and possibly the original Roy Harper, who Red was a clone of.

"If he comes back while we're still taking care of this mission, he'll join Delta squad." Privately, Nightwing had wanted to put his friend in Alpha squad, but his experience would have better suited Delta, as Lagoon Boy and Blue Beetle were still rather new members. And anyway, Red and Artemis still didn't get along that well, even though they respected each other now.

"Alright, we'll go in the order of the Greek alphabet." Nightwing said with a wry smile. "Alpha goes first, then Beta, Gamma and finally Omega. Hopefully we'll soon get a routine figured out. Robin, Artemis," He called out. The two team members came over. "We should get going right now. The faster this Angel is protected, the happier the League will be."

Artemis chuckled. "Yea, but for some reason, I think Wally's gonna have trouble with the covert part."

* * *

Yay, end of chapter 1! I will hopefully get another chapter up soon, but tell me what you guys think in the reviews!


	2. Chapter 2 Starstruck

Ok, so I realized that I made a mistake on the first chapter… The line was supposed to come after Daddy Bats says that the League of Shadows is after Angel Devine . Eh, well in this chapter, we get introduced to the Team's charge !

* * *

Robin tapped his fingers restlessly against the cool metal of the Super-Cycle, his blue eyes searching the night sky constantly under his domino mask. The new protégé of Batman was nervous. This was one of his first official missions with the team, and he didn't want to mess up, especially in front of Nightwing.

"We're almost there," Artemis noted, peering over the side of the Cycle.

The anxiety hovering over Tim's mind increased.

" Alright." He managed to say calmly, though his heart was jumping like a hare.

Nightwing perceived the boy's nervousness and gave Robin a reassuring smile. "This is probably going to be a pretty quiet mission," The ex-sidekick said, hoping to boost Tim's morale and confidence.

The boy smiled and gave a nod, though it was weak.

"The city's below us," The archer reported. "The girl's house should be close."

So far, the team had only referred to their charge as 'the girl', despite the fact that they all now knew pretty much everything about Angel Devine. Cell phone number, favorite color, the addresses of all of her friends, even the ones of those she didn't know that well. Nightwing and Aqualad were prepared to make this job as thorough as possible.

Robin clipped on his utility belt as the Super-Cycle landed on a close-by building. They landed with the tiniest of thuds, yet Artemis and Nightwing still winced at the sound. If anyone were to learn of their mission, civilians included, things would not go well with either the press or the Justice League.

"Alright, I'll cover the front of the house," Nightwing instructed. "Artemis, you take the back and Robin will be on the roof so he can see the left and right sides of the house." The rest of the Alpha squad nodded agreement, and got into position. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Robin was sitting uncomfortably on the roof, darting quick glances left and right to make sure that no enemies would suddenly rise out of the bushes. But everything was quiet. Not too quiet, but enough so that the squad could be at ease. But that didn't mean they shouldn't be careful.

"You wanna switch positions?" Artemis's voice said in his ear, thanks to their radio communications.

"Sure." He breathed out quietly. He couldn't wait to get off his butt and stretch, no matter how brief it was going to be.

"Just be careful." Nightwing's voice hissed in his ear. The superhero was obviously restless, and seemingly wanted to keep the mission covert.

"Don't worry, I won't blow our cover." Robin said, allowing a hint of annoyance enter his voice. He may be the least experienced hero on the team excluding Beast Boy, but that didn't mean he was a complete idiot.

Nightwing was quiet for a moment before sighing quietly and saying, "Look, sorry Tim, but I don't want to mess up this mission."

The Boy Wonder allowed a small smile to cross his lips before responding. "Don't worry, no hard feelings." He spotted Artemis, a dark shadow in the shade of the many trees that occupied the Devines' back yard. He sat up and darted to the safety of the chimney.

"It's okay Robin, you can go to the garden now," Artemis appeared over the edge of the roof, bow held loosely in her hand. Tim gave the archer a nod before flitting to the drainpipe. In seconds, he was on the ground and sticking to the shadows, letting the darkness of his hair and cape hide him reasonably well.

"Oh, and Robin?" Artemis's voice sounded in his ear. He stopped underneath a fir tree, crouching down so the branches wouldn't brush against him and move.

"What?" He asked, confusion clouding his mind. Had he done something wrong?

"Just… Don't get… Distracted." The archer said hesitantly.

Tim would have puffed up with anger if it wouldn't have endangered his position. "Thanks!" He snapped as quietly as he could before continuing on his way, swinging himself onto a tree and sitting moodily, his blue eyes furious, though no one would have been able to see them through the reflective lenses of his mask.

"Robin, she didn't mean that you wouldn't be able to-" Nightwing's voice sounded in his earpiece.

"Yea, I think she got the message across." Tim snapped. He was normally never this touchy, but he was tense, and everyone knew how hard he had worked to become Batman's new partner. The Boy Wonder then sank into silence, staring moodily at the house in front of him.

Nightwing and Artemis didn't respond.

* * *

It was about 5 o'clock in the morning when Robin first noticed movement in the house. He had been practically dozing, weary from the long night he had had to stay up in. The Boy Wonder reached up to his ear piece to transmit a signal to Nightwing and Artemis, but then hesitated. He was still angry at them for seemingly belittling him, and he was quite ready to make amends. But he stopped when he noticed where the movement was coming from.

"The girl's up." He breathed softly, his hand holding his earpiece.

"What? At this hour in the morning?" Nightwing said tiredly. Looked as if he had had as rough a night as Robin.

"Huh." Artemis said from her position, though she sounded mildly impressed.

Tim kept flickers of movement from inside the house. He only managed to get a good look at the girl when she came to open the window of her room.

The Boy Wonder let out a small whistle escape him. The girl was gorgeous. She was about Tim's age, he vaguely remembered from his scrutiny of her file on the Super-Cycle. She had shoulder length golden brown hair that seemed to shine slightly in the sunlight, and her eyes were a beautiful forest green. She was wearing a tank top, probably her sleep wear. For a moment however, Tim was snapped out of his reverie as the girl stared intently at the large group of trees at the back of her garden.

Robin kept as still as possible as the girl's gaze swept over his hiding place. Seeming to find nothing out of place, she closed the window, a small from on his face. The Boy Wonder wondered what she would look like if she smiled.

_Even more beautiful than she already is,_ he guessed.

"You know, for some reason I think that we should have brought M'Gann along with us so she could check on your thoughts, you seem so star struck." Nightwing said, amused by the boy's gaping silence.

"Shhh!" He hissed quietly, both embarrassed but also wary. He didn't want to blow the mission before it even began.

"Say, what's the girl's name again?" Tim asked curiously.

There was a brief silence from both Artemis and Nightwing before the archer replied.

"Angel. Her name's Angel Devine."

* * *

Yep. Little Timmy's star struck heheheh.


	3. Chapter 3 Perspective

Woot; two chapters in two days! I haven't written this much so fast in… Well, ever XD. This time we get a point of you from my OC, Angel Devine!

* * *

Angel leaned her head against the car window, watching the trees flash by. Another school day. And she had French first.

_Great, just great._ She thought to herself. Angel excelled in more of her subjects, especially languages, but lately she'd been feeling kind of strange. Sometimes, mostly when she was alone, she felt as if someone was watching her. But of course, no one was there. She hadn't told anyone, not even her parents about this, worrying that they'd freak out. And anyway, it wasn't as if she was sick or anything. Angel knew that one word about this kind of stuff and she'd be pushed to psychiatrists. Not a good thing.

"Angel?" Her mother's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Mhm, what?" Angel asked curiously, staring at the back of her mom's head.

"I've said your name about five times now." She could hear annoyance in her mother's tone; but also worry.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." Angel replied quickly.

"Oh. What about?" It was obvious that her mom wanted to keep the conversation going, so Angel lied to humor her.

"Oh, just boys and stuff." She smiled. She never thought about boys except for Jack, but that wasn't a subject she wanted to broach. Not with her mom, not with herself.

"Boys?" Even though Mrs. Devine was facing forward, her daughter could tell that her mother was raising an eyebrow. "What boys?"

"Oh, you know… Boys at school like Tom. We're doing a science project together," She hastened to add. It would be really embarrassing if her mom started grilling Thomas at the next parent-teacher conference, which both families always attended.

"Mhm. Science project." Her mother said pointedly.

"Yea. We're doing it on the fact that up always depends on where you are. Like if you were on the Moon and facing Earth, up would be there. But when you're on Earth and you're just standing, then up isn't below you is it? So-"

"Alright, alright, you're making me confused." Angel's mom said hurriedly. "Look, we're almost to school!"

* * *

M'gann was following the car from above, listening in on Angel's thoughts. It had been five days since the Team had first been assigned to watch over Angel Devine. For any normal person, this probably would have been boring, but the Martian found it of the highest interest.

She had never really been part of a human life until a couple of years ago, but even then, she was still a superhero and never really understood what it was like to have a normal life.

_Beast Boy, Superboy, _M'gann said telepathically. _Any sign of the Shadows?_

_Um, no,_ Beast Boy answered. _Like every other day since we first started baby-sitting Angel without her knowing it._

_Yea, it's been pretty quiet so far. _Superboy added.

Even his telepathic voice was relatively emotionless, but M'gann knew his soft side. And since Garfield had lost Marie thanks to Queen Bee, the trio of aliens had almost become a sort of family. Of course, Beast Boy missed his mother, and most nights he had nightmares about seeing the car, flipped over at the base of a waterfall. But He and M'gann were practically siblings now, thanks to the fact that they shared blood.

_But just to let you guys know, _Gar added, _it's actually kind of cool to be watching her without her even realizing it. _

_Only you would say something like that Beast Boy. _M'gann chuckled inwardly.

* * *

Angel groaned as the bell for lunch finally rang.

"Finally!" She told Emma, her best friend.

"I know right? I thought I was going to die, Mr. Berroff was prattling so much!" She replied to Angel.

Angel snorted. "I bet he could make the Batman fall asleep, his voice is so annoying."

"So true. But unfortunately, Batman is in Gotham, so we can't test that theory." Emma giggled.

By this time, they were already out into the hallway.

"Race you to the lunch line?" Angel challenged, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Oh, you are so on!" Emma said.

"Ok. 3, 2… 1!" at the last number, both girls sprinted down the hallway. Angel was almost catlike with her race, weaving through the crowd of students without touching them. In a couple of minutes, sh was at the lunch line, barely out of breath.

"N-no fair!" Emma panted, her red hair matching her face as she skidded to a stop besides Angel. "It always amazes me how you can move so fast." The girl continued, starting to catch her breath.

"Yea, I've pretty much always been able to do that. But then again, gymnastics helped a lot." Angel said, worrying that she had hurt her friend's feelings.

_Maybe next time I can let her win. _Angel decided swiftly.

_Good choice… _A voice whispered, although not her own.

Angel started. "Did you hear that?" She asked Emma, a frown creasing her pretty face.

Emma shook her head in confusion. "No, hear what? By the way, Josh is looking at you," She added with a straight face.

Angel stared at her, astounded. "You're pulling my leg. Unless he's staring in a bad way." She said.

But Emma shook her head. "Nope, nope, simply seems as if you caught the most popular guy in school."

Angel giggled. "You know I'm not interested in boys. Especially after…" Angel trailed off.

Emma frowned. "You shouldn't think about him." She supplied. "He doesn't deserve you."

But Angel stared back at her helplessly. "But maybe it was my fault…"

"Nope, nuh uh, none of that!" Emma chided all mother-like. "Now let's see what's for lunch."

* * *

M'gann watched Angel out of her peripheral vision. Who had Angel been talking about? It was obviously a he, but Angel had blocked her mind, more for herself than anything else.

_You know, this girl intrigues me, _She informed Connor and BB silently. _She managed to block herself from me, even though she was unaware of it._

_Yeah, that's great and all, but can we get out of here soon? _Beast Boy complained. _I don't want to be stuck in this biology class as a parrot any longer!_

* * *

Yea, I thought I should end this short chapter with a bit of humor. Hopefully, I'll have another chapter up before the weekend.


	4. Chapter 4 Kidnapped

Mwahaha, I am seriously going to enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Nightwing was reviewing battle strategies in the main Cave entrance, when a voice startled him.

"Still with the battle plans, huh?" The hero turned to find Zatanna smiling at him.

With a chuckle he replied, "We can never be too careful."

Zatanna gave a nod of agreement. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "How do you think Robin's doing?"

Nightwing started with surprise as she asked the unexpected question. "Fine. Great in fact. But you know that. Why are you asking?"

Again, there was a brief silence. "It's just… He's been acting really… Distracted lately." Zatanna said haltingly.

Nightwing fiddled with one of the buttons on the main computer. He had hoped no one would have noticed, that it was just a figment he had constructed on his own with his anxiety and paranoia.

"Well… He seems to have taken an interest in Angel." He said.

Zatanna's eyes widened. "Angel Devine?" She said incredulously.

Nightwing looked at her, the face of seriousness and nodded.

"But-But he doesn't even know her! And liking someone as important as her could endanger the mission, and our existence!" The magician spluttered in chock.

It was true. Few in the world knew about the covert team the Justice League had put together for their sidekicks.

"I know," Nightwing sighed. "But it is true that he has been watching her at least once a week for a whole day and night. I think it's understandable, albeit not very practical."

Zatanna nodded her approval, still stunned by the news which she had received.

"Maybe you should talk to him," Zatanna suggested. "You're the closest thing he has to a brother right now, and if you did it gently, it might help him see sense."

Nightwing pondered this for a moment. "Yea, you're right. But hopefully, this won't change into a disaster, heavy on the dis."

Zatanna chuckled before coming up to the young hero and hugging him affectionately.

"You'll do fine. He respects, and more importantly, trusts you." Nightwing hugged her back, his fingers playing with her hair.

"I hope you're right." He sighed.

* * *

It was dark. The full moon hung low in the sky, but there were still enough shadows so that one could do something without being seen. Say… Launch a surprise attack.

A shadowy form darted through the alleyways and the streets, staying close to the darkness. It would be incredibly difficult to see this master of the shadows unless they happened to have heat-vision. At the end of a street, the shadow stopped. Very slowly, a hand was lifted to where the mouth should be. But in this case, it was a grinning mask, shaped to look like a cat.

"I've reached the house. So far, I've only identified Flash's protégé, Rocket and Batgirl." A sultry voice said quietly, barely heard in the night.

"Good. Eliminate them and take the girl."

* * *

Wally was bored. Incredibly, boringly bored. As much as he liked cute girls, he didn't really want to stay up around the clock just to protect them. For once, he even thought that Batgirl was agreeing with him though, since she took her job as a hero very seriously.

"No one's going to come and attack this girl." He hissed, hand pressed against his earpiece.

"Look KF, I know you aren't enjoying this. But we have to stay. Otherwise, Aqualad and Nightwing will have our heads. And if we don't survive _that_, then we have to face the whole Justice League, and I for one, do not want to get into trouble with Icon!" Rocket retorted, annoyance plain in her voice.

But Wally had been distracted.

"Shhh. I see something." He murmured, pressing himself flat against the roof of the two story house the Devines owned.

"Where?" There was alarm in Batgirl's voice, but she too was quiet.

"I don't kn-" Kid Flash was cut off as he felt a sting in his arm. Approximately 3.2 seconds later, darkness filled his vision and he slumped even more on the ground, his body slack.

"KF? KF!" Rocket hissed, but his line was dead. "Batgirl, be careful, someone's got Wally," But an arm clamped around her and a cloth was pushed against her nose. The superhero struggled to get rid of her attacker, but she couldn't concentrate enough to create a bubble to defend herself. After a couple of moments, she went limp in her attacker's arms.

"Amateurs." Cheshire said easily, stepping away from Rocket's body. "They would have known that someone would come." Her eyes narrowed behind her mask. "Two down, one to go."

* * *

Batgirl's eyes darted around warily, while she stayed utterly still. If she moved, it was possible that whoever had taken down her teammates would see her, and attack. But it didn't matter. She spotted a flash of movement to her right, and lifted her arm up in a block.

Thankfully, Cheshire had been using her martial arts skills instead of her blades and all of her other poisonous weapons.

Cheshire brought her other arm below Batgirl's to give a sharp blow to the stomach. The superhero gasped as all the breath left her body and slumped forward slightly, but not before trying to give the assassin a roundhouse kick. It was feeble, but fast and gave Batgirl just enough time to recover from her blow.

Batgirl gave Cheshire another kick, but the villain already deduced her next move. She crouched down, and in one fluid movement, grabbed a small dart from her belt and stuck it in Batgirl's leg. It managed to pierce the armor and penetrated her skin.

"W-What the…" Batgirl said drowsily, darkness crowding her vision.

"Don't worry," Cheshire's voice said. "I'm not killing you or your friends. It's much to fun taking you out."

And then her world went black.

* * *

Angel had been sleeping quietly when a loud noise awoke her. She sat bolt upright, her eyes searching the room. No one was there.

She lay back down again, but her breathing was rapid and uneven. Something was wrong, she knew it. And she felt as if she was being watched again.

But it was different this time. Before, the stares had only felt curious. But this… This was menacing.

"Oh, don't worry yourself over me being here," A voice said. Angel screamed and jumped out of her bed. There was a stranger in her room.

It was obviously female, but her face was hidden by a mask, molded into the form of a grinning cat. Suddenly, Angel recognized the intruder.

"W-Wait," She squeaked, to afraid to say anything louder. "You-You're Cheshire?"

Despite the fact that a mask was covering the assassins face, Angel could tell that it was grinning from the amusement in her voice.

"Nice to be recognized. But now, down to business. You," She pointed at Angel. "Are coming with me. Whether we do this the easy way or the hard way doesn't really matter to me, but either way, you're coming."

Unfortunately, it was at this moment that Angel's fiery personality decided to flare up.

"Oh, really," She snapped. "But just to let you know, I'm not going anywhere with you."

Cheshire sighed. "Ah, well, at least I'll get some entertainment."

In a couple of moments, Angel was lying unconscious on the floor. Cheshire rubbed her hands together.

"Well, you wanted it to be the hard way." Quickly, the assassin swung the girl over her shoulder in a sack-of-potatoes hold. The window was already open, so she slid out and fell into the garden without any problems.

"Should I just go, or is there something else you want me to do?" Cheshire asked, holding her earpiece against her ear.

There was a moment of silence before the reply came. "Burn it."

Cheshire already understood what they wanted, so she took out a match and lit it. Turning slightly, she threw it, aiming perfectly so that the flaming piece of wood would land on Angel's bed. In a few seconds, the quilt was alight.

The assassin allowed a grim smile to cross her face before turning and melting into the night, taking the Team's mission with her.

* * *

Wally groaned, and lifted his hand to his head. His brain was throbbing, and he felt as if someone had dragged him through a fire.

"Wally?" A questioning voice penetrated his haze of confusion and pain.

"Go away." He grumbled, trying to remember what he had last done. All he remembered was being on baby-sitting duty for the Devine girl when he had blacked out…

"The girl!" Wally's eyes flew open and he sat straight upright in panic. Pain surged through him, but he was struggling to focus on the hazy shapes in front of him. Soon, it managed to morph into Nightwing and Aqualad. Both of them seemed extremely somber.

"What happened?" The speedster gasped. "All I remember was… And then it… But I-"

"It's alright Wally," Aqualad said.

"Well, sort of. Neither you, Rocket or Batgirl was badly injured, although you were burned quite severely…" Nightwing trailed off.

"How did I get _burned_?" Wally asked in confusion. "I was knocked out!"

Both Aqualad and Nightwing looked uncomfortable.

"Wally… It seems as if Cheshire managed to take your squad down and took Angel. She also burned down the house."

Shock filled Wally. "Is her family alright?"

"There were no survivors."

Wally felt awful. If he had done a better job…

"Hey, I know that look," Nightwing interjected, stepping forward.

"It was not your fault, Wally." Kaldur said, though sadness was plain in his eyes.

"It was, but more importantly, what are we going to do?" Wally tried to push away his guilt. It wouldn't help the mission, or the Team.

"It's simple. We get our charge back."

* * *

Yep, she got kidnapped. But I guess it was kind of obvious XD.


	5. Chapter 5 Found

Well, this story FINALLY got interesting! So yea, Miss Devine got kidnapped, and is currently unaware of her whereabouts or the states of her family.

* * *

Angel stirred slightly, her breath coming out evenly. But despite this air of calm, inside, the girl was panicking without knowing why.

_What happened? I can't remember… _She strained to remember the events of the previous day. Something, anything. But to no avail.

"The stimulants don't seem to be working," Voices blurred in and out of her thoughts, saying strange things that were mostly science-related.

"Do you think we should proceed with the process while she is unconscious?" A different voice questioned. It didn't seem familiar. Where was she?

"It might be best, but the assassin had… A request." The first voice answered meekly.

"What kind of request?" The second voice was sharp with annoyance.

"She wished to have a video tape of the process, as proof to her boss that the mission was completely successful."

"He should have known better than to send an assassin on this kind of job!" The second voice snarled. "It requires finesse. Now the League knows she has taken the girl, albeit they do not know her current location is with us."

"That is true."

"Get the syringe. The sooner we finish this process, the happier I will be."

Faintly, Angel heard shuffling sounds, and some cursing as the first voice seemed to look for the syringe. It took a couple of minutes for the girl to realize what this meant.

_Get up, get up! _She told herself in a panic. What was going on? Slowly, too slowly, Angel started to penetrate the haze around her mind. She could smell anesthetic. _A hospital maybe?_

"She's moving. Guess the stimulants worked after all." The voice was clearer now. Masculine.

"Hurry. We should get this over with while she's still drowsy."

_What are you going to do to me? _Angel screamed inwardly, struggling vainly to free herself of the daze that had settled over her.

"Now, do it now!" The second voice urged.

Very faintly, Angel felt a prick on her back. Then another. But it was nothing compared to what came after. She was on fire. Every part of her was burning, her skin, her blood.

Only with this awful jolt did she manage to say something. A long, drawn out scream came from her lips, and she thrashed desperately.

"Stop! Make it stop!" She screamed, pleaded. "PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!"

She was sobbing now, tears coursing down her face and making it unable for her to see her assailants.

She had no idea how long she was in agony. All she was aware of was the terrible pain that coursed through her and her newfound hatred of these men who were doing this to her.

* * *

Robin was restless. His fingers flying over the main computer's keyboard absently, he was sorting through all of the possible places Cheshire could have taken Angel. Ra's al Ghul was the logical choice, but he was uncertain whether they should take the chance of trying to find the villain and questioning him. Deep in his thoughts, the detective didn't notice Nightwing come in.

"Found anything?" The Boy Wonder started.

"Yea, I think I've found a lead." He said, trying to cover up his surprise. "Ra's al Ghul is our best chance right now. Since Cheshire is a Shadow, he's our best shot."

Nightwing nodded and said, "Good work."

Robin gave Dick a quick smile before returning his gaze to the computer.

After a couple of minutes of complete silence excepting the noise of Robin's fingers tapping lightly against the keyboard, Nightwing cleared his throat and said, "We'll find her, Tim."

"I know." Was the Boy Wonder's simple response.

* * *

Wally was finally let out of the infirmary once he had been able to convince his teammates that he was absolutely fine.

It was a lie. Guilt hung over the normally light-hearted speedster like a dark cloud. Whenever someone asked him if he was alright, he brushed their concern off, preferring to wallow in guilt and misery alone.

Only Artemis and M'gann could tell how Kid was feeling. The archer spent as much time as possible with him in an effort to cheer him up, while M'gann baked hundreds of cookies for him to eat. To no avail.

Right now, the speedster was staring out across the bay absently, his fingers drumming against the dusty ground of the cliff that served as one of the Cave's secret back doors.

"Will you please stop sulking?" Artemis snapped. "I know you think this is your fault, but firstly, it isn't, secondly you shouldn't be sitting on your butt doing nothing, and thirdly, you're making everyone else depressed!"

Wally looked at her sadly, but with a little more life than before. "You're right, I should be helping. It's just…" KF trailed off, uncertainty flooding over him. Artemis was right. It wasn't fair that he was sitting around, doing nothing. It was the least he could do for the Devine girl.

He stood up painfully, wincing slightly. Not all of his burns were fully healed, but with his super-healing, he would be fine in a day or two. He walked past Artemis and opened the door that led inside.

"Where are _you_ going?" Artemis said, her hands on her hips.

Wally turned towards her. "Going to help Robin and Nightwing."

Artemis faltered for a moment. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. Gotta make sure you don't spiral down into your pit of depression again."

Wally smiled at her, a full, light-hearted smile and the archer felt her heart flutter. "You got it."

* * *

"Llet su erehw legnA evineD si!" Zatanna snapped, blue eyes glaring fiercely into Ra's al Ghul's.

"That won't… Work on… Me!" The Shadow leader said through gritted teeth. He had been trained to resist magic, but this was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Tell us!" M'gann said, her voice low and her eyes glowing as she put pressure on the villain's mind. He had been resisting for more than an hour, but they couldn't give up.

They had managed to track down Ra's al Ghul thanks to Robin and Nightwing's combined skills in less than 12 hours. But it might already be too late.

Ra's al Ghul's mouth started to move, but he clamped it shut again, his hate-filled green eyes staring at his captives.

"It'll be easier on you if you tell us." Nightwing warned.

The 700 year old villain seemed to falter for a moment, and both Zatanna and M'gann took the advantage.

"Llet su erehw legnA evineD si!" Zatanna snarled.

"Tell us where Angel Devine is!" Miss M hissed, pushing into Ra's al Ghul's mind with all of her might.

"Cadmus!" The villain gasped out loud, but tried to cover it in the next second.

"Too late." Robin said contemptuously, walking forwards to stand by Zatanna, Nightwing and M'gann.

"We'll let you go soon enough, but you might have more information that we need." Nightwing stated, turning to leave.

Robin, Zatanna followed suit, but M'gann stared at the villain with hard eyes for a couple more seconds before following the other heroes, leaving Ra's al Ghul to curse himself alone in the interrogation chamber.

* * *

"It's possible that Guardian is under mind control again, but we can't be sure. Tread carefully." Nightwing warned Superboy and Robin. Both of the boys nodded their understanding and dropped from the bio-ship to the ground.

"So this is your first time to Cadmus?" Superboy questioned the Boy Wonder, his eyebrow raised in a questioning look.

"Yea, but I know pretty much all about it." Robin responded quietly, his eyes darting around underneath his domino mask.

_Are you in position? _M'gann said telepathically.

_I am ready. _Aqualad answered.

_Me and Artemis are all set. _Kid Flash informed the team.

_So are we. _Superboy said.

_Alright. Superboy, Robin, you guys take the front door. Artemis and Kid will take one of the… Back doors. Once you're in, Aqualad will cover you while M'gann does a mind sweep of the building. _Nightwing calmly instructed.

_All right, let's go. _Superboy and Robin darted to the small building that served as Cadmus headquarters. Superboy stood on guard as the Boy Wonder hacked the systems, though perhaps not as quickly as Nightwing would have done.

The door slid open, and the two heroes slipped inside.

_We're in. _Robin said telepathically.

_So are we. _Came Artemis' reply.

_Alright, I'm starting the mind sweep. _

Superboy and Robin proceeded through the halls warily, ready to take down any genomorphs or guards. No one tried to stop them.

_This is weird. Last time I came to Cadmus, the place was crawling with freed genomorphs… _Superboy said in confusion.

_Yea, we haven't met any resistance either. _Kid said warily.

_I found- _All of the heroes telepathically linked to M'gann felt the blinding agony that had overtaken her. Superboy and Robin dropped to the floor like stones, hands holding their heads.

After a couple of seconds however, the pain subsided.

_What was THAT? _Kid Flash said shakily.

_M'gann, are you still there? _Superboy said worriedly.

_I'm fine… It's Angel. She's in pain._

_Well then, let's go get her! _Robin said angrily. Anxiety was eating at him. What if they were too late?

_Calm down Robin. It's fine, I've located her. Just follow my signal._

Robin was already on his feet, and waited impatiently for Superboy to do the same. As soon as the Boy of Steel was on his feet, he had already darted down the hall, though his caution wasn't forgotten. After a couple of minutes of navigating through the confusing maze of hallways, they found M'gann along with Artemis and Kid Flash.

_Super speed, remember? _KF said cheekily.

_This is no time for joking. She's inside this room. _Miss Martian said sternly.

Robin went straight to the control panel, and in seconds the door was open. Angel was laying flat on an operation table, her skin pale and her eyes closed. Her body jerked from time to time, probably from the pain the Team already knew she was experiencing. Her wrists and ankles were tied down with steel clamps, most likely to prevent her from falling off the table or from escaping.

_Before we free her, I'll have to get rid of the pain. It already seems to be subsiding for her, but it's not completely gone. _M'gann said, floating to where Angel lay. She put her hands on her forehead and concentrated.

_I think I've done it, but it might only be temporary. _The Martian said, suddenly sounding exhausted.

_Superboy, can you free her? _Artemis interjected. The clone nodded his assent and started breaking the metal that held Angel down.

_There. _The Boy of Steel said before lifting the girl into his arms.

A surge of jealousy flashed inside Robin, but he pushed it away. He was being ridiculous.

_Let's go. _

"Oh no you don't." A deep, familiar voice said from behind. The squad whirled around to face Guardian, his eyes expressionless.

"She's staying right here."

* * *

Yes, I left you guys on a cliff hanger! Mwahaha!


	6. Chapter 6 Realization

Yea, so since it was pretty much certain that Guardian was under mind control at the end of season 1, I just played it up a bit more. Fight scene coming on, and yes, we will find out what happened to Angel… *cheeky grin*

* * *

"Stand down kids." Guardian's voice rang out through the room.

His green eyes were just visible behind the gold helmet that protected his identity, expressionless yet at the same time glittering with malice.

"We don't think so," Superboy growled, Angel still limp in his arms.

"We won't let you harm this girl any more than you already have." Miss Martian added on, floating several inches off the ground.

Guardian let out a short, barking laugh. "You really think that you kids can take me on?"

Kid shrugged. "Well, yea, since Aqualad, Nightwing and I have already kicked your butt. Several times." He added unnecessarily.

The hero readied himself into an offensive stance. "That girl isn't going anywhere. We still need her."

"Who is they?" Aqualad demanded, stepping forward.

Guardian's face twisted into a grimace as he realized he had let slip valuable information. "None of your business."

"Oh really? Well, Miss Devine here happens to be under our protection, so that _makes_ it our business," Artemis snarled, her bow already out.

Kid Flash placed a hand on her shoulder as a signal to back down. She took the hint and relaxed her hold slightly, but still held her bow in her hands, ready to shoot at the hero if need be.

_Where are you guys? _Nightwing's voice rang out in the Squad's heads.

_Guardian is trying to prevent us from removing Angel. _Robin answered, his hand posed on his utility belt, ready to take out a weapon if needed.

_Mind control. _Nightwing cursed in their minds.

_Yea, I think we got that. _Superboy said sarcastically.

"I'm giving you one more chance; stand down, or you're going to get hurt." Guardian growled.

Artemis seemed to think for a moment. "How about no?" She suggested.

_Now! _M'gann said.

At the exact same time, the whole Team launched themselves at Guardian excluding Superboy and Kid Flash.

_I can get Angel out of here quickly. _Kid Flash said. _That way you can also help out pummeling Guardian._

_Good idea. _Superboy handed Angel to Kid, who was gone in the next second.

Turning back around again, the Boy of Steel launched himself into the fight they were currently winning.

* * *

_Left, left, right, no, turn around then go left… _Kid Flash chanted in his head as he zipped through the Cadmus underground. The maze of hallways was confusing, but with KF's super speed, he and Angel would be out of there quickly. For a split second, the speedster turned his head to see if anyone was pursuing him.

One moment he had been running down a long hallway with several doors along the sides, but he ran into a wall. No, not a wall. It was doughy and goopy… Almost like clay.

Kid Flash backed up as fast as he could without tripping as he stared up in horror.

"Well, well, well." A gravelly voice roared. "It's been a while since I've last pummeled you, hasn't it?"

"Well, that depends on what you consider _pummeling_," Kid Flash interjected as he stared up at Clayface, but the monster whipped his left hand forward, knocking Kid to the floor and Angel from his grasp.

"Hey! Let go of her!" He shouted angrily as the great brute leaned down to pick up Angel.

"No, I don't think so." Clayface answered, distorting his arm to turn it into a long, lethal looking whip. With a crack, he flicked it towards Kid, but the speedster had already darted away and was leaning casually against the wall.

"Wow, your aim has definitely improved." Kid Flash said critically. He then proceeded to launch himself forward and rammed himself into Clayface's leg.

The impact knocked the breath out of the speedster's body, but it gave the desired effect.

With a roar of rage, the clay man stumbled backwards, letting Angel slip through his gooey grip and fall with a light thump onto the floor.

In a flash making him worthy of his name, Kid sped forward and scooped up Angel into his arms. He had partially turned when he saw a streak of movement out of the corner of his eye.

Before he could react, a long stretch of clay had wrapped around his ankle and with an oomph, the speedster fell forward, unable to catch his footing.

He just managed to turn himself onto his back so that the impact would be absorbed by him and cushioning Angel.

_Guys? Clayface has kind of joined the party. _Kid Flash said warningly.

_I'm on my way. _Nightwing answered.

_Yea, well hurry! _Kid snapped.

He managed to dislodge the whip-like arm from his ankle and sped forward down the hallway and gently put Angel down against the wall. As she was still unconscious, it would be best for her to stay some distance way from the battle.

"Come over here mini-Flash! I want to pummel you again!" Clayface bellowed.

KF smirked. "You got it big guy." He ran towards Clayface and started circling him, becoming faster and faster until a mini tornado was in the middle of the hall.

"Kid! Move to the left!" Recognizing the voice, the speedster complied, throwing himself against the wall.

Not a moment too soon. Something small whistled past him and becoming enveloped in the beast's folds of clay.

There seemed to be a small explosion and Clayface bellowed in pain, smoke pouring out of his mouth.

Another projectile sank itself into his body and produced the opposite effect from the previous pellet.

Clayface stiffened slightly, and Kid Flash spotted ice quickly covering the villain, inside and out.

"Curse you Nightwing! I hate it when this-" Clayface was cut off as the ice reached his head.

"Whew. That was a close one. Thanks Ro-Nightwing." Kid turned with a smile to greet his friend.

Nightwing returned the smile. "No prob KF. Now let's have a look at Angel."

Nightwing strode towards the girl and dropped onto his knee. He placed his fingers against her neck.

"Heartbeat's stable…" He muttered. After a couple of moments, he stood up. "Nothing really seems to be _wrong_ with her, but I might be wrong. We should get back to Mt. Justice soon."

_Hey, you guys done with Guardian yet? _Kid asked.

_Yea. Black Spider and Sensei came to back him up, but they're all hog-tied now. _Artemis said with satisfaction in her voice.

_Alright. We'll finish up with Clayface, and then regroup at the bio-ship. Understood?_

Telepathically, the Teal nodded assent.

_Wait, is Angel alright? _Robin asked anxiously.

A smile touched Nightwing's lips. _She seems to be fine, but we'll double check on the bio-ship._

_Oh. Thanks Nightwing. _

_No problem Rob._

* * *

The trip back to Mount Justice was uneventful. Every once in a while M'gann and Nightwing would check on Angel's vitals, but everything seemed to be in order.

After about a half hour, they reached Mt. Justice.

"M'gann, Superboy, can you two and BB take turns keeping watch over Angel tonight?" Nightwing asked. "I'll be staying here for the night as well so you guys can get some sleep."

"Sure." M'gann said before going off to find Beast Boy.

"I'll take first watch." Nightwing told Superboy.

"Be my guest." Superboy said wryly before turning and heading towards the living room, probably to watch static on the TV.

"Nightwing?" Robin said timidly.

"Yea, Tim?" Nightwing responded, looking over at the young protégé.

"Can I stay here for the night as well? I can help watch over Angel… And stuff…" He finished lamely. In truth, he just wanted to keep an eye on Angel. Even though she didn't even know he existed, the time he had spent watching over her had prompted affections from the teenager.

Nightwing hesitated for a moment. He remembered his conversation with Zatanna about Robin. That he shouldn't be getting close to Angel. But the look on the boy's face changed his mind.

"Alright, fine. Just make sure that watching over her isn't the only thing you do all night. You need rest."

Robin's face lit up. "Thanks Dick!"

Before the superhero could say another word, the protégé had already darted off. Nightwing wondered if this was how Batman had felt when training him.

_Probably. _He chuckled to himself. Next time he saw his former mentor, he would have to give him an apology.

And with these thoughts running around in his head, Nightwing gently picked Angel up and walked towards the medical bay.

* * *

Angel was tired. Really, really tired. And sore. The last thing she remembered was the blinding pain, being kidnapped… The memories were still fresh in her mind. But how much time had passed? She remembered something stopping the pain. It had felt… Familiar. Comforting.

She struggled to open her eyes, wishing that they weren't so heavy. She hoped that once she woke up fully, she would realize that it had all been a terrible dream.

But as her eyelids slid open a fraction, her heart sunk. She wasn't in the same place as before, although the smell of anesthetic was still in the air. She moved her head a bit, realizing that the light in this room was dim, offering relief as she remembered the bright light she had been subjected to before. The dimness was almost comforting. But she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and tried to snap her head around to see what it was, but only managing a weak twitch and a small whimper.

A shadow stepped closer to her, and Angel's heart stopped. The person was leaning down over her, observing her. Her eyelids fluttered, trying to make the image clearer.

Yes. A face. A mask was covering its eyes, and she could see shaggy dark hair above that. The person seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen them.

"Don't worry. You're safe." A masculine voice said gently.

"W-who are you?" Angel managed to croak out, only just noticing that she was wildly thirsty.

The person seemed confused for a moment, before his expression cleared. "Oh. I'm Nightwing."

_Wait. Nightwing? _Shock and wonder filled her at the same time. Nightwing the superhero? For a moment, she was wary. But she could tell that he was being honest.

She shook her head slightly. "This is too weird." She whispered weakly. Darkness was making her vision fuzzy, and this time, she didn't fight it. Her eyes closed again and she welcomed the cool blackness and rest.

* * *

Nightwing watched silently as the girl slipped back into unconsciousness. She was probably exhausted. Rest was what she needed now.

She seemed slightly restless as she slept, fidgeting. But it was only when she turned onto her side, facing away from him that he understood exactly what Cadmus had done to her.

Behind his reflective lenses, his blue eyes widened. Sprouting from her back, still small, were two wings. They seemed to be covered in down, like fledgling wings before they grew enough to be able to fly. Each of the feathers were black-tipped, but the main color theme was a rich, beautiful dark blue, although the shades varied depending on the feathers.

All of a sudden, Nightwing was reminded of, well… Blue Jay wings.

_M'gann? _Nightwing said cautiously.

_Yes Nightwing? Is it time for my shift? _

_No… But I think you'd better come and look at this._

* * *

Yep. Cadmus messed around with her DNA so she ended up a little bird. And I think you all know what's coming next!


	7. Chapter 7 Pain and Grief

So yea. Angel is now mutated. Maybe it was kind of obvious, but I hate it if my chars stay on the damsel in distress page for too long XD. But this chapter isn't so much talk at the beginning, but don't worry, loads of dialogue later!

* * *

Angel stirred slightly, her breath coming out evenly as she slept. Her shoulder-length, golden-brown hair was spread out on the pillow she was sleeping on, messy as it had been ages since she had last brushed it.

Nightwing was standing over her, face creased into a frown when M'gann entered the room.

"What's wrong?" The Martian asked, worry in her voice. "Is she still stable?"

Nightwing hesitated. "Yes. But you should look at her back."

Now it was M'gann's turn to frown. She floated over to where Nightwing was standing, and stared at the girl's back, visible as she was facing away from them both. A small gasp escaped her lips as she spotted the blue, bird-like wings sprouting from her.

"They weren't there earlier." Nightwing said grimly.

The female Martian turned to stare at him. "What did they do to her?" She said, horrified.

"I don't know. But thanks to what happened with the genomorphs and Superboy, I'm guessing they managed to tamper with her DNA before we rescued her." The hero responded.

M'gann turned her gaze towards Angel again. "The poor thing," She said, her voice sorrowful. "First she was kidnapped, now she knows she has bird wings, and I have no idea how to tell her about her family…"

"She doesn't know about the wings yet." Nightwing said, his voice edgy.

Miss Martian raised an eyebrow.

"Just before you came, she managed to stay unconscious for a couple of minutes. She was confused as to where she was, and didn't seem to be aware of the fact that we rescued her. She did, however," He added, a bit of pride in his voice, "Seem to realize that I was Nightwing after I told her."

M'gann rolled her eyes at the young hero's talk.

"Should I go through her mind?" She supplied after a couple of minutes of silence.

Nightwing nodded his assent and said, "Go ahead."

M'gann flew over the bed and landed gently on the other side. She placed her hands against Angel's forehead and tried to concentrate.

* * *

As she entered her mind, she was struck with music. Different kinds were whirling around the adolescent's head, the lyrics she knew repeating themselves over and over again. Besides that, there were words, ideas for books. These thoughts seemed to be controlled, more orderly and M'gann could see that the girl was aspiring to be an author. With a twinge of guilt as she realized that this dream would probably never happen, the Martian continued looking.

As she delved deeper into Angel's mind, she learned more and more about the girl. She was a bookworm, and relating to her wish to becoming an author, she excelled in English and was always writing short stories of her own. She loved biking with her dad by a nearby lake, was a big fan of wolves and horses, hiked for the fun of it, as opposed to her two siblings, found it annoying when her brother purposely made loud noises around the house when she was reading… The list was endless.

But Miss M looked past that and continued into the memories. The most vivid ones were at the surface, so she didn't have to look far. Right at the top was the one about the terrible agony she had experienced in Cadmus; which M'gann had also felt when their minds had connected. She didn't want to enter that memory, even though it might give some good insights about what happened.

M'gann hesitated for a second, but resolved herself and mentally plunged into the memory.

At first, she was slightly conscious, but she felt someone inject something, a needle maybe, into her back. She felt another pricking sensation, and it all felt apart.

Pain, terrible pain. M'gann was screaming for them to stop, begging, pleading.

_No. Angel was pleading. _She managed to tell herself through the haze of agony.

"She's doing remarkably well." A voice said distantly, barely heard as if from far away. Miss Martian guessed that only she was able to hear since she wasn't fully connected with the pain Angel was experiencing, albeit it was already agonizing. The voice didn't ring any bells for Angel, but M'gann had a feeling of recognition. "Any other girl her age would have passed out by now."

"It's her ancestry, remember!" A second voice snarled. "Otherwise we wouldn't have tried this at all."

"But still… The blood is incredibly diluted."

"Does it really matter?" No one said anything for a moment, excepting Angel's screaming.

"No. It does not."

Then something entered Angel's mind and reacted to the pain. M'gann dully realized that it was her own presence. But she could tell it was also her own fault. The fact that she had connected all of their minds was what had caused Angel to black out, as the magnified sentiment of agony had been too much for her too bear. M'gann was helpless to do anything but follow suite and she fell into the darkness along with Angel's memory.

* * *

M'gann was brought out of Angel's mind gasping, her sides heaving for air.

"M'gann!" Nightwing's anxious voice said.

"I'm fine." She said unsteadily.

"No, you're not." Nightwing was adamant. "What happened in there?"

M'gann paused for a couple of moments, trying to catch her breath. "I entered Angel's memory of when whoever was there did an experiment on her. I think… Dubbilex was there, and someone else, possibly Guardian while he was under mind control. They injected something into her back… Where the wings are now. They were talking about how her ancestry made her the candidate for this experiment… They also mentioned something about diluted blood. I think she may have something strange in her DNA, which didn't manifest itself physically or mentally in any way. It's possible that they were only enhancing its effects, albeit in a very painful manner." By the end of this speech, M'gann's voice was slurred with exhaustion.

"Go to bed. Robin can take over your watch." Nightwing told his friend firmly.

But the Martian shook her head. "No way." She said, but Dick could tell that she was only resisting out of sense of duty.

"Seriously, it'll be fine." The superhero told her gently.

M'gann sighed, mostly annoyed, but partially relieved. "I'm going to get you for this someday." She mumbled before heading to her room.

Nightwing stared after her for a moment before lifting his hand to his earpiece.

"Robin? Time for your watch, but I'm going to be here too, alright?" Nightwing said.

He didn't have to wait long. In a couple of moments, the door slid open again and Tim stepped inside.

The young hero cast a worried glance at Angel, but stopped short when he spotted the beautiful wings sprouting from her back.

"What did they _do_ to her?" He breathed, his blue eyes widening behind his mask.

"They messed around with her DNA." Nightwing said, coming to stand beside his friend.

Robin shook his head, still in shock. "I can't believe anyone would do something so horrible to a girl. Especially her." He threw in, passion in his voice.

Nightwing gave him a quick glance, but thought of something. "Well, since she doesn't have a family anymore, and she now has wings… She might have to stay at Mt. Justice." He said hesitantly, wondering if it was a bad idea to bring the boy's hopes up.

But it was worth it when he saw understanding cross the boy's face, quickly followed by hope and excitement.

"You think?" He asked.

Nightwing hesitated for a moment, but nodded his head again.

A big grin spread across Robin's features, but it faded slightly as he realized something. "You-You think she'll like me? I mean, I already know she's great, what with watching her live for a while now, but she doesn't know me at all!"

Nightwing raised an eyebrow, struggling to keep a smile off his lips. "Well, you'll just have to convince her how great you are, huh?"

Robin's grin returned, but he seemed to be trying to keep his excitement under control. Walking over to one of the two sits that occupied the room, he sat down and just stared at Angel. Nightwing took the other chair and spent the rest of their watch in silence.

* * *

Angel's eyelashes fluttered, blinking in confusion as she didn't see the familiar walls of her room, covered with posters and her bill board, full to the brim with bits of writing and ideas.

Then it all came rushing back, the pain being the first thing that came to mind. She winced, but realized she wasn't hurting. She started to remember her kidnapping, the conversation she had heard before the agony, managing to stay conscious enough to see a large, moving pile of mud, the man's profession of him being Nightwing, and more faintly, snippets of conversation as she laid unconscious.

After she had blinked away the memories, she saw that she was in a white room. The bed she had been sleeping in was incredibly comfortable, and she didn't even feel any soreness anymore. Her whole body was tingling, but her back felt kind of… Weird. Almost as if there she had an extra pair of arms or legs sticking out.

But as she thought about it, she felt kind of uncomfortable. She sat up, and it was then that she realized she wasn't alone in the room.

"Angel?"

Her head snapped around, and she spotted the man from her last conscious memory standing before her. Nightwing. Even now, she recognized the resemblances between the figure she had seen so often on the TV working alongside the Batman and the guy who stood before her.

"They make you look bigger on TV." Was the first thing that flew out of her mouth. She covered it with one hand, mortified, but Nightwing just laughed.

"Yea, I'm always told they over-exaggerate me. How are you feeling?"

The question caught her off-guard. "Um, I'm fine. But first of all, where am I and how did I get here?" Now that she was coming back to her senses, distrust was starting to creep through her, even though Nightwing was a 'good guy'.

"You're in Mt. Justice." Another voice said.

Again, her head snapped around and she spotted another guy, about her age, with a mask on his face. First thing she noticed was the yellow 'R' on his breast and her mouth fell open.

"Wait. You," She pointed at the taller adolescent in black. "Are Nightwing, and he," She turned around, finger now pointing at the stranger. "Is Robin? What the hell's going on here?"

The two males shared an uncomfortable glance.

"Well, yea…" Robin said uncomfortably.

"Maybe you should sit this one out." A voice sighed, coming from the door.

It was a girl this time, with fierce grey eyes and long, blonde hair held in a ponytail.

"Ignore the idiots." She said swiftly. "I'm Artemis."

"Green Arrow's sidekick?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her expression was friendly, open even. "We prefer the term 'protégé', but yes, I am."

"Wait, this is just getting too weird. Why am I in a room full of heroes, after I had just been kidnapped? Where are my parents?"

This time, all three hesitated.

"Angel, right?" Nightwing said gently.

Angel nodded, her shoulder length hair bobbing with the movement.

"Well, you were kidnapped. By the League of Shadows. We managed to rescue you, but…" He hesitated, sharing a helpless glance with Artemis. Her eyes grew dark.

"They didn't make it. There was a fire while they were sleeping… They didn't feel anything." She said swiftly, almost as if the words were too painful to say.

But it didn't matter. Angel just stared at them, to numb to say anything for a while. But she cleared her throat.

"You're lying," She said, her voice cracking. "You have to be. You must be wrong. They can't be…" She broke off, tears filling her eyes. She tried to suppress her sobs, but the choking sounds still managed to get through. The tears finally spilled down her cheeks, and she couldn't contain herself anymore.

_They're wrong, they're lying, they're crazy. Mum, Dad, Jonas, Mira, they can't be gone. It's insane, it's impossible. _She chanted inside her head. But she could see that they were honest.

The tears flowed faster and her sobs racked her shoulders more and more violently. She drew her knees towards her and wrapped her arms around them, hiding her face from these people, these people she didn't know at all, but who had just told her that her whole family was dead.

After a couple of moments, she realized her saviors had gone, and she was grateful.

But compared to the pain she was feeling now, she would have relived the agony she had felt during her kidnapping over and over again for all eternity.

* * *

Yea, I had to drop it on a sad note :(. And she still doesn't even know she has wings. Well, I'll hopefully have the next chapter up tomorrow, but no promises 'kay? Oh, and first swearword in the whole story so far here XD. Well, if you consider hell to be a swear word. I also noticed that I write more and more for each chapter...


	8. Chapter 8 Understanding

This chapter drops off just a few hours after chapter 7 ended. And yes, I am proud to say that Hawkwoman speaks her first lines in the YJ universe here. And yes(again), she will become an important character.

* * *

3 hours. 3 long, lonely, awful hours. 3 hours after she had been informed her parents and siblings were dead.

To Angel, it had already been an eternity without her family. The first hour, all she had done was cry, sobbing into the pillow on her bed. No, not her bed. There was nothing familiar about this place. Nothing comforting. After she had cried herself dry, she had started staring at the wall absently, lyrics pounding in her head.

_These wounds won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real. There is just too much that time cannot erase._

_When you cried, I'd wiped away all of your tears. When you screamed, I'd fight away all of your fears._

The haunting words from Evanescence's song My Immortal circled through her head. In the song, it had been a while since the loved one had died, but she still felt pain. Angel felt the same. As if she'd never be whole again. No one would understand.

_Now I'm bound to the life you left behind. Your face, it haunts my once-pleasant dreams._

Angel just stared at the wall, to drained of emotion to do anything else.

* * *

"How else were we going to tell her?" Nightwing argued.

"I don't know! But maybe you should have at least waited a while before telling her! Her life's just been torn apart thanks to you!" Wonder Girl yelled back angrily.

"Oh, really? How much is a while?" Nightwing snarled.

"GUYS!" To everyone's surprise, it was Robin who had tried to break up the argument. He looked startled himself, but he continued. "Maybe instead of arguing about it, you could try to comfort Angel! She must be devasted!"

Nightwing and Wonder Girl both looked ashamed. The now-hero remembered when his own parents had died, falling when the ropes on the trapeze had been cut. He could still see their broken bodies in his memories.

"You're right." He said abruptly. "I'm sorry Wonder Girl."

Warily, Wonder Woman's protégé nodded back.

_Recognized, Batman, O2. Flash, 04. Hawkwoman, O7._

"What happened?" The caped crusader demanded the moment he stepped into the room.

"We found Angel. But Cadmus managed to… Change her before we got there." Nightwing said slightly meekly.

"Changed _how_?" Batman snapped.

It was Artemis who addressed the League members this time. "She has… Wings."

Flash and Hawkwoman's eyes widened, and even the Dark Night himself looked shocked.

"Could you please show us?" Hawkwoman asked, her feathered wings twitching slightly.

"Sure, but just to warn you, Angel isn't aware of these wings yet herself." Nightwing admitted.

"Why didn't you tell her?" Flash questioned.

"I think that specific piece of news was a little too much, especially after we just told her that her whole family is dead." Nightwing's voice was cold.

Batman shot his former protégé a pointed look, even though he understood his feelings perfectly. He had also lost his parents at a young age.

Flash, however, just looked guilty, and Hawkwoman shocked. Silently, Nightwing turned and started to walk towards Angel's room, followed by the three League members and Robin.

"Stay put." The Bat told his protégé, eyes narrowing. But the Boy Wonder looked back at him just as fiercely.

"No, I'm coming." Batman felt surprised, but didn't press the matter.

* * *

Meanwhile, Angel had managed to bring herself out of her misery long enough to realize she had two new limbs.

_Feathered_ limbs.

Holding her hand to her mouth to suppress her shriek, Angel stood up quickly and ran towards the mirror where she had first seen the bright blue feathers. Shaking, she turned sideways as to get a better look at this new development.

They were beautiful wings, folded neatly against her back, although the ends didn't reach further than her hips. But as she watched, the feathers grew longer, as did the structural shape of the wings. It was slow, but visible. Trying to keep herself from hyperventilating, Angel started to look at the feathers. They were varying shades of dark blue, ranging from the color of her notebooks, to a light color like the Carribean Sea. A white band started at the place where she guessed the feathers turned into skin, and continued through the middle of each wing until about half-way. Each of the feathers were black-tipped, except near the very bottom, where the longest feathers were. There, white edged her wings, completing the look of a Bluejay. She had never particularly liked birds, but jays had always inhabited the house garden, and she had observed them enough to recognize their wings when she saw them.

She realized that she could… Feel them, almost unconsciously, like she could feel her arms and legs. They were a part of her.

The realization was shocking and scary, but Angel tried to swallow her fear.

_Move._

The wings shivered slightly, and Angel jumped in surprise. She guessed that she was trying too hard, and tried to think of them as limbs instead of something attached to her. This time, the wings fluttered, like she had soon so often seen on birds from her window.

She tried to take it a step further. Taking a deep breath, she tried to make them open. They complied easily, and Angel had to catch her breath as the opened wide. The undersides of her wings were a pale, sky blue, which darkened the closer it got to her back. She stared in fascination and horror.

What had they done to her?

The sound of voices caused Angel to whip around and close her wings up tightly. Unable to see them, the deep sense of despair and grief returned, along with anger.

But when the door slid open, all she could do was stare in shock.

Nightwing and Robin were first to come in, but following them… Angel's green eyes widened in shock, letting the emotion dull her pain. Were those… Justice League members?

"You're Angel Devine, I presume?" A gruff voice said.

She stared in fright at the shadowy hero that stood before her. Everything started to spin. This was too much. First she had been kidnapped by a crazy assassin. Then she had been rescued by superheroes, followed by the staggering, painful information that her family was dead. The discovery of her wings. And now this…

In the next split second, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she collapsed.

* * *

Thankfully, Flash managed to catch Angel before she fell to the floor and put her gently on the bed.

"Um… I think you kind of scared her, Bats." He said slowly.

The Dark Knight let out a low growl and glared at the light-hearted superhero. He raised his hands in submission and backed off.

"Shayera, I think it would be best for you to wake her up." He told Hawkwoman gruffly.

The winged woman nodded and stepped towards the fainted Angel.

"Angel?" She said softly, tapping her hand lightly against the girl's face. Angel's eyes flew open and she stared up in shock at the face above her.

"I was hoping it was a dream." She said slowly, her face crumpling.

All of the heroes in the room exchanged glances, but Hawkwoman tried to calm the distressed girl down.

"Look, I know this has been hard and confusing for you," She said slowly, warily waiting for a sudden reaction from the heart-broken girl. "But you're safe now."

Angel let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe I'm safe, but nothing's going to be the same for me again, is it?"

Hawkwoman's eyes saddened, and she said, "I know this is painful, but we're here to protect you. The League of Shadows is still after you, especially after we managed to rescue you from them."

Angel looked confused. "The what of Shadows?"

"We'll tell you more about that later. But you see, while you were kidnapped, the Shadows managed to…" Shayera hesitated, sending a glance towards the Dark Knight and the Flash.

But Angel nodded abruptly. "The wings. I saw them just before you came in."

Again, Hawkwoman hesitated. "Can you show us?"

This time, it was Angel's turn to look wary. She gave a quick glance towards the door, where Robin was. He gave her an encouraging smile, and for some reason, she relaxed. It was familiar.

She stood up and stood a little ways back from the League members. Angel took in a deep breath, and managed to make her wings move.

Batman and Nightwing didn't look shocked, but everyone else sure did. Well, Robin was more stunned at her beauty then shocked, but Flash and Hawkwoman were surprised, albeit Shayera in a pleased way.

"You can… Move those?" Flash gawked.

Angel nodded her head slowly. "Yea, but I just started doing this a couple of minutes before you came in."

Hawkwoman didn't look surprised anymore. She seemed ecstatic.

"I think I have an idea…" She said.

* * *

If you can guess what Shayera is thinking of, then I am very, very bad at foreshadowing XD. But I guess it is kind of obvious huh? And yes, I know I wrote a lot less on this chapter then the last one, but I didn't really have a lot of time XD.

If you still don't really know what Angel's wings look like, just google Bluejay wings, and you'll get a pretty good idea of what her wings look like.


	9. Chapter 9 Acceptance

So yes, Angel's life is pretty much coming apart right now. But in this chapter, everything is fixed! Sort of. Oh, and guys? I know you guys are always asking for updates, but I've been writing a chapter a day… You can tell from the publishing date that I only started last week. So yes, I love the enthusiasm, but please don't ask about updates. I'm pretty sure a chapter a day is pretty good for now XD.

* * *

"Why not?" Hawkwoman demanded.

"Because her life's already hectic enough; don't need to add being a superhero!" Batman shot back.

"Yes, but what about Nightwing? He became a superhero soon enough! And anyway, she'll only be my protégé. At least, until she's ready!" Shayera argued.

"Guys!" As always, Flash was the unwilling peacemaker. "Why don't you just ask her?"

An awkward silence fell upon the trio. After Angel became conscious again, Hawkwoman had dragged her co-workers outside for discussion. The argument that had just ended had been going on for about 15 minutes.

"Fine." Batman and Shayera snapped at the same time.

The winged woman turned to walk towards Angel's room, while the Dark Knight stormed off, probably to go make some battle plans, which he always did to calm himself down.

Flash looked helplessly at both retreating figures before jogging after Batman, for once not eager to use his super-speed.

* * *

While the three League members had gone outside for their discussion, an impenetrable silence had entered Angel's room. Nightwing and Robin stood silently by the door, while Angel had folded her wings against her back and sat down, pulling her knees towards her.

She was starting to get nervous, and she felt a faint breeze tickle her cheek as they waited. Glancing around, she couldn't see any windows, so she attributed the wind as a draft from the door. After a couple more minutes of awkward silence, Angel started to fidget. She felt uncomfortable, and realized that it was probably because of how tightly her wings were pressed against her. She released the tension in them, and gave a small sigh of relief as the discomfort stopped.

It was around this time that Hawkwoman entered again.

"Angel?" Shayera questioned.

The girl looked up, green eyes confused.

"Can I talk to you for a minute outside?" The winged woman continued.

"Sure…" Angel answered, getting up slowly. She followed Hawkwoman past Nightwing and Robin, who both gave her comforting smiles. She couldn't imagine way. They barely even knew her.

"Angel, after seeing that you had… Wings." Shayera started hesitantly. "Well, I was thinking. Since this will probably be a hard time for you, and difficult to fit back into society, I was wondering if you wanted to become my protégé."

Hawkwoman stared resolutely at Angel, who appeared speechless. "But I-I don't even know how to fight!" She spluttered.

Shayera laughed. "That's why you'd be my protégé. So I could teach you. And besides, I don't think anyone else in the League other than me knows how to fly with bird wings."

Angel cracked a small smile at that. It was true that she could never have a normal life again. But to become a superhero…

"How about a compromise?" She offered. "You teach me some basic stuff and how too… Fly, and I'll see if I'm any good at it?"

Shayera was pleased. At least the girl hadn't said no. Smiling she offered her hand. "Deal."

Grinning slightly herself, Angel took her hand and shook it. "Deal."

* * *

"First think we'll need to do is tell Batman and the rest of the League that you've decided to think about becoming my protégé. I'll go do that, but you should go meet the rest of the Team first." Shayera planned as she walked side-by-side with Angel.

"The Team?" Angel asked in confusion.

"Most of the League's sidekicks. Robin, Artemis and Nightwing you've already met, but there are plenty more members." The League member explained.

Angel's forehead smoothed in comprehension. "Like Kid Flash and stuff?"

Shayera nodded her head. "Exactly."

By now, they had entered a large cavern with water lapping at the stone that made up the Cave.

"There's Kid Flash, Artemis and Zatanna now." Shayera pointed out.

At her voice, the young heroes looked up, their gaze immediately drawn towards Angel. She stiffened slightly, her wings pressing into her back again.

"Relax," Hawkwoman said soothingly. "They don't bite. Well, Artemis sometimes, but that's not the point. I actually don't come down here often, as I have never had a protégé before."

Angel looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

Shayera shrugged uncomfortably. "Never really saw the need since I had Hawkman."

The closer they got to the three heroes, the more nervous Angel became. Another breeze whooshed past her, stronger than the one in the room she had been occupying. As she stared, she noticed Kid Flash look away with her with an expression quite similar to guilt.

"Is this Angel?" A tall girl with black hair and cerulean blue eyes asked.

Shayera nodded. "She's agreed to giving being my protégé a try, so she's staying here for a while. I thought I should introduce some of you too her before I went and contacted the League."

Artemis stared at the golden-brown haired girl in front of her in surprise. But then she understood. It was hard enough trying to fit into society again after being kidnapped and after having your DNA messed with. Add on the fact that she'd be placed in an orphanage or foster home and she had wings… Well, Artemis couldn't blame her.

"Hey." She said stepping forwards with a smile. "You probably remember me, but I'm Artemis, Green Arrow's partner."

"Hi." Angel said shyly.

"And I'm Zatanna." The black haired girl introduced herself.

This time, Angel lifted an eyebrow. "What do you do?" She asked.

Zatanna smiled mischievously.

"Tup reh ni elbatrofmoc sehtolc!" She said suddenly, waving her hand.

All of a sudden, Angel was in a long-sleeved tunic with flared sleeves, comfortable blue jeans and lace-up black boots.

"Wow!" She gasped. "That's amazing!"

"I try my best." Zatanna said with a shrug, although a teasing grin was on her face.

"And this," Artemis shoved Kid Flash forwards. "Is Wally. He helped rescue you from Cadmus."

"Nice to meet you." Angel said, gratitude in her voice. Thinking about it, she would much rather be stuck in a cave full of superheroes than a torture chamber.

"Hi." Wally said slowly. The guilty look was back in his eyes again, but it vanished after a second. "So, can you fly with those things?" He asked, pointing behind her.

Straining her head, Angel could just see her wings, still folded, but loosely, against her back.

"I'm guessing there are specially made slits in the shirt." Zatanna said. "I asked to put you in comfortable clothes."

"Oh." Angel said slowly. "And I don't know yet." She added, to answer Wally's earlier question. Almost absently, she flexed her wings.

All three heroes' eyes bugged out slightly. Self-conscious, Angel was quick to fold her wings again.

"Angel?" A voice called out.

Turning around, Angel saw Nightwing and Robin headed their way.

"We heard about how you're going to give the superhero life a shot. Congratulations." Nightwing said, a smile on his face.

"Yea, I think that this'll be good for me." She answered quietly.

"Well, we'll be glad to have you join the team. Right Rob?" Nightwing said, giving Tim a cocky grin.

"Yea, it'll be great." Robin answered calmly, hiding his embarrassment at Nightwing's prodding.

"Team, please come to the debriefing room." Batman's voice echoed throughout the Cave, thanks to the speakers.

"Guess it's your big introduction." Artemis noted.

Anxiety was starting to build up in Angel, and the breeze was back again. A hand landed on her shoulder and she turned to face a serious-looking Robin.

"You'll do fine." He comforted.

Angel managed to give him a weak smile before following Nightwing, who was already headed towards the exit of this section of the Cave.

* * *

"As most of you already know, some of the Team managed to rescue Angel Devine, after she was captured. Because of some… Developments, Hawkwoman has decided to take Angel in as her protégé. As of now, she will be staying in the Cave and will be a member of the Team. Understood?" Batman said, glaring at the Team through slitted eyes.

The whole Team nodded in unison, several of them like Blue Beetle and Lagoon Boy staring at Angel in fascination.

For the girl herself, however, she was just embarrassed. At school, she had always been friendly and sociable, but right now, she felt like crawling into a hole. Besides the members she had already been introduced to, Angel didn't know any of the people in front of her except thanks to TV.

A voice from behind distracted her. "Come on. We should get you up in the air as soon as possible." Startled, Angel turned around to see Shayera. She let out a sigh of relief and followed her new mentor away from the staring people.

"Hey! Hey! Wait up!" Robin yelped, jogging after them. Batman stared after him in surprise.

"What's gotten into him?" He muttered to Nightwing. The superhero raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously. You don't see it."

"No…" Batman trailed off uncertainly. He hated it when he didn't know something.

"Well, to put it mildly, Robin has taken a liking to his new teammate." And with a wink, Nightwing turned to go talk to Aqualad, M'gann and Superboy about Angel's stay at the Cave.

* * *

"Here," Shayera said, opening a door.

Angel winced at the bright light that hurt her eyes, but followed her new mentor into the sunlight. She sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes adjusted. She, Hawkwoman and Robin were standing at the edge of a cliff. A very, very steep cliff.

She gulped and said weakly, "Why exactly did we come here?"

Shayera glanced at her and said simply. "You need to learn how to fly first."

Stepping forward cautiously, Angel peered over the edge. The cliff ended abruptly in churning water.

She cast a terrified glance towards Robin.

"Don't worry, Hawkwoman knows what she's doing." He said.

Her panic turned into disbelief and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Stop messing around and watch." Hawkwoman said briskly. And with those words, she jumped off the cliff.

Her hand clasped on her mouth, Angel stared as Shayera gracefully opened her wings and came out of her fall with one smooth beat. She hurtled upwards, only slowing down once she reached where Robin and Angel were standing.

"Open your wings." She instructed.

Hesitantly, Angel complied, her blue wings shining in the sunlight.

"First, I want you to glide only. If you start to fall, I'll catch you." Shayera said, beckoning with her hand.

Angel stepped forward, looking at Shayera and hesitated, certain that all this would come to would be her drowning on the rocks below.

* * *

Yea. Another cliff-hanger. Literally XD. The pun was unintentional, I assure you. Will she make it or not? Guess you guys will have to wait until tomorrow!


	10. Chapter 10 Comfort

So will she fall, or fly ? And I just realized how much I really hate chapter 9. Everything seems to go by so quickly… Well, I'll probably go back and edit a lot of it anyway XD.

* * *

Angel took in a shaky breath as she peered over the edge of the cliff. If she turned back now, it would make her seem like a coward. But she had just figured she had wings, and was now expected to jump of a precipice.

"You can do it." Hawkwoman encouraged.

Angel made a face at her new mentor.

"You'll be fine!" Robin said cheerfully from behind her.

"Easy for you to say," She muttered under her breath. "You're not going to jump of a freaking cliff!"

But she stepped forward hesitantly, tensing from time to time as the strong wind buffeted her.

_Ah well. _She thought to herself miserably. _At least if you die you can see Mom, Dad, Jonas and Mira again._

She flinched inwardly. At the excitement of become Shayera's sidekick, she had almost forgotten the horrible news she had received earlier; because of her, all of her family was dead.

Almost unconsciously, she continued to step forward in a daze. Her feet were nearing the edge. She kept going.

Another footstep, and she was flying for a second.

But then gravity tugged at her body and she fell.

Angel gasped as the air left her lungs and tried to straighten herself out and remember how birds flew. She dully realized the they normally didn't fly on their backs.

But the ocean was coming closer and closer. Angel closed her eyes, certain that she was going to crash against the rocks when a hand wrapped around her wrist.

She came to a jerking halt, swaying unsteadily above the churning sea.

"You know, the purpose of this exercise was for you to fly." Shayera said disapprovingly. "No use being a superhero if you can't use your talents to the fullest."

Angel let out a choking laugh. Only now did her heart rate slow down as she realized the winged hero had a firm grip on her. They were making their way back to the top of the cliff, where Robin was staring with a pale face.

From time to time, Angel tried to give helpful beats of her wings, but they were weak and feeble.

" I guess I should have remembered that the atmosphere on Earth is heavier than on Thanagar." Shayera said sheepishly. "It's a lot easier for us to learn how to fly, since it's literally lighter there. I'm guessing that we should work on your power first."

"Yea, that seems like a good idea." Angel answered. "But next time, could we maybe keep away from any cliffs?"

Hawkwoman's laugh was her only answer.

* * *

"We need to find out what they wanted with her." Batman reminded the League.

"They might have just done it to have another henchman." Green Lantern pointed out.

"But they said something about her DNA being the reason why they kidnapped her in particular. Why would they take a normal girl?" Wonder Woman argued.

"I agree with Diana. We should investigate Angel further, take some tests." Superman said.

"No way!" Shayera burst out, feathers fluffed up. "Don't you think she's been through enough these past few days? Now we have to experiment on her?"

"They didn't mean it that way…" Hawkman said soothingly.

But his wife only glared at him.

"No. At least wait a few weeks!" Hawkwoman changed tone, becoming more pleading. "Give her time to mourn."

Batman stared at her stonily, but inside, his heart gave a squeeze. Shayera was right; it wouldn't be fair on the girl.

"Alright." He said abruptly, startling the present League members. "Well give her one month to get used to her surroundings and accept her family's death. But no longer," He added.

Shayera nodded. "That's all I'm asking."

* * *

"And this is the kitchen slash living room." M'gann flew in, followed by Angel, Zatanna and Superboy.

Robin probably would have been there too, but he and Batman had to leave to do some business in Gotham City.

Determined to make Angel feel more comfortable and relaxed, Zatanna and M'gann had taken it amongst themselves to drag Angel on a tour of the Cave the moment she came back from her fearful experience.

"I don't know how you can make a cave so… Friendly." Angel commented in surprise, casting an appraising glance around the large room.

"Well, it has to be since we live here." Superboy said straight-forwardly, causing M'gann to crack a smile.

"Yea, we do everything we can to make it comfortable-" Zatanna began, but was cut off by the loudspeakers.

"All Team members currently present, come to the training room." A robotic voice said.

"That'll be Red Tornado, our den-mother." M'gann said airily.

Angel gave the trio a funny look. "Den-mother?"

"It's a long story." Superboy put in.

"Now." Red's voice echoed again throughout the Cave.

* * *

"Aqualad thought it best that Angel learned a bit of hand to hand combat." Tornado's robotic voice said, emanating from the metal being that was his body. "We called Black Canary for her training."

A tall blond woman with blue eyes smiled at Angel. "Hello there," She said pleasantly.

Angel nodded back, hoping that she wasn't seeming room. But to be honest… She was feeling a little overwhelmed by the day's events.

"Connor, you and Aqualad can do a bit of sparring. M'gann, Zatanna, instead of physical work, how about a bit of power? Beast Boy, I still want you lifting weights. And I'll take Angel, teach her the basics."

Immediately, the five went to separate areas and commenced sparring, or in Beast Boy's case, lifting weights as an elephant.

"Alright then. Angel, isn't it?" Black Canary said.

"Yes." She answered, her hand reaching up to brush a stray hair from her face.

"Ok, so as I said, we can start with the basics…"

* * *

Two hours later, Angel was exhausted.

She had almost collapsed in relief when Black Canary finally called out, "Class dismissed."

_At least I can defend myself now. Somewhat. _She told herself.

Yes. It was definitely worth the bruises and aches.

"All available Team members, report immediately." Batman's voice said through the loudspeakers. "Except Angel." He added.

She felt slightly disappointed, but more than a little relieved. It would take some time for her to get used to being a superhero, she was sure of that. And definitely a lot more for her to be fit enough to stand these training sessions. Sighing, Angel turned and wearily made her way to the showers.

* * *

After a long, hot shower and a short nap, Angel felt fine. No one was back yet, except Red Tornado, who was holed up in some unknown place.

So Angel took it upon herself to explore every nook and cranny of the Cave. She found a library, a gym, even another living room. She didn't bother to go into any of her team mates' rooms. She respected their privacy. But it was at the furthest recesses of the Cave that she found something to do.

It was a simple room really. Tasteful decoration, a few sofas and a long coffee table. But it was what occupied the room's center that caused Angel to gape.

A glistening, perfect-condition black grand piano stood there, along with several other instruments such as the guitar and the harp. Angel could play all three, although her favorite was by far the piano.

She stepped forward hesitantly, her long, smooth fingers trailing on the top of it until she came to the keys. She lifted the lid up and sat down. She put her hands in position when she wondered if she was even allowed to play it. But no one was around, so she guessed that she would be fine.

But then came the pondering. What song should she play first? She knew so many…

The perfect idea hit her. She grinned, and her elegant fingers flew over the piano, making the tune for the Harry Potter theme. She had always loved the books, and even though she never quite agreed that the movies were up to par, she had loved the music. As she played, she began to hum, something she often did with pieces she enjoyed in particular.

Once she finished that piece, she started another she hadn't played in a long time; My Funny Valentine. She had learned it to please her father, who had always been a big jazz fan. But now, it brought back memories. Her fingers tapping the keys almost absently, she started thinking about how much her life had changed in the space of several hours.

"My funny valentine. Sweet, comic valentine. You make me smile with my heart." She sang quietly, the lyrics coming to mind. Her dad had belted along the lyrics when she had presented the piece, and soon, her Mom and siblings had joined in as well, laughing like crazy.

A smile touched her lips as she thought of them. She would miss them, she was certain. But it was times like this when her best memories resurfaced. Before now, she had had childish memories come to mind, like when Jack had given her her first kiss. But those times were long past.

Once she had thought through only about a fraction of these happy memories, the song ended. For a moment, Angel stared blankly at the keys.

"Aw, don't stop! You were doing great!"

Angel tensed and turned quickly, a blush creeping up her neck.

_Oops… Caught._

Robin was leaning against the door, a faint smile on his lips. "Guilty!" He laughed, throwing his hands up in the air.

Angel cracked a smile, which seemed to please him. He walked towards her, his hands now behind his back.

"You know, I've never heard you sing while you play." He commented.

Angel stared at him in surprise. "How would you know that I play at all?"

Robin reddened a little and muttered something similar to, "Since we had to watch over you, I saw you play piano a lot."

"Oh." Angel felt slightly embarrassed, but slightly relieved too. At least she knew who had been watching her.

"So… Got anything else up your sleeve? I play the piano too, but not as well as you." Robin said, changing the subject.

Angel shrugged. "A lot of things actually. Normally when I like some song or other, I find the music for it, or I manage to play it by ear, but that's a lot harder."

"Wow." The Boy Wonder seemed impressed, and Angel could feel the same annoying blush trying to give her away. "Well, do you know any four hands?"

Angel smiled, a full, proper, warm one this time. "Sure. Wanna play with me?" She gestured towards the piano.

Robin grinned back. "Sure."

* * *

Yes, Angel is reminiscing and Robin comes to make her feel better. And yea, I took advantage of the fact that so far, Timmy doesn't like anyone in the TV show XD. I know I skimped out on the training, but to be honest, I have no idea where they would start o.O


	11. Chapter 11 Flight

I never actually thought this would get so popular! Yes, her first mission is coming soon, but I still want to have some more about her getting used to her new life. And anyway, she still needs to learn how to fly.

* * *

Several days later, Angel was reading in her room, bored out of her mind. Shayera dropped in from time to time so they could exercise her wings and make them stronger for inevitable flight, but besides that, Angel didn't see her or anyone else that didn't live in the Cave often. She enjoyed spending time with Robin the most, but most of the time he was doing the dynamic duo thing with Batman in Gotham, so visits from him were rare.

"_Recognized, Hawkwoman. O7." _Since she had arrived, Angel had become tuned in to the sounds in the Cave, often straining to hear if someone was coming. So naturally, the moment the robotic voice started to announce Shayera's arrival, Angel dog-eared her book, jumped up and raced towards the main section of the Cave.

"Finally!" She panted as she skidded to a halt in front of her mentor. "Nowadays, no one is ever here except Red Tornado, and well… You know what I mean."

Shayera laughed. "Don't worry; I'll be able to stay for a while today. I've been temporarily exempted from League duties to work more on your training. We have to get you in shape, and more importantly, off the ground!"

Angel smiled as well. Over the past week, she and Shayera had relatively grown close, even though in terms of personality, they were very different.

"So what are we doing today?" She piped.

"I think we should try having a go at flying today." Hawkwoman said.

At the sight of Angel's panicked face, she hurried to clarify what she had said. "No, I'm not making you jump off any cliffs again. I was thinking that we could stay here and you could try just getting yourself off the ground. If you can do it here, it should be a lot easier out in the sky, with the warm drafts being able to hold you up most of the time."

Angel's face cleared. "Oh, that's okay then."

Hawkwoman laughed again before directing her to the center of the large Cave.

"Alright. I want you to flap your wings as hard as you can. Try scooping the air under them, like we practiced." Shayera directed, standing off a little-ways.

Angel complied, stretching her wings until they trembled with the strain before relaxing slightly. She then started to beat her wings, softly at first, but letting them become stronger and stronger.

The faint draft that was drifting through the Cave was definitely helping, probably brought in when Shayera had beamed in from the Watchtower. But still, the League member was a bit perplexed and decided to talk to Batman about fixing the drafts.

By now, Angel was breathing hard, but she felt lighter every second.

"Don't beat your wings quickly," Shayera called out. "Try making them more… Powerful. That's what counts in the air. Oh, and try to keep the same rhythm when you're beating them."

Angel was concentrating too fiercely to reply, although she gave a nod of understanding. She started to think of it as the rhythm to a song.

_Flap. Flap. Flap._

Over and over again in her head. Now not having to concentrate so much on keeping her wings beating at the same time, she worked more on trying to get the air under her wings.

_Flap. Flap. Flap._

For several more moments, there was no change, and a deep silence filled the room as Angel's mentor let her concentrate.

More strained silence, heavy with anticipation. But then…

"You're doing it!" Shayera cried out suddenly, a broad grin appearing on her face. "You're off the ground!"

Angel didn't dare look down, fearing that she would lose concentration if she did.

"Really?" She gasped out between beats.

"Yes! At this rate, you'll be an expert flier in no time!" Hawkwoman crowed.

As Angel rose, it did start to get easier. She could tell that she was about a foot above the ground now. Two feet…

Shayera launched herself into the air, making her way towards Angel.

"You're doing great!" She exclaimed, keeping her distance as to not bump into her protégé.

"Keep saying that so I won't fall!" Angel managed to laugh.

"Alright then, but I don't think anyone would like a teammate with an inflated ego!" Her mentor teased.

"Hey!" Angel replied, half indignant, half giggling.

The euphoria was starting to kick in, and the bad memories that lingered at the back of her mind vanished.

She started to flap harder, adrenaline rushing through her.

"I feel sorry for all the people that are stuck on the ground!" She said smugly.

Shayera smiled. "It is great isn't it? But it gets better!"

Angel was curious. "Um, how?"

Shayera just grinned mischievously.

"Red, could you please open the bay doors?" Shayera called out.

A low grinding sound and one of the two main exits of the Cave opened up. Angel winced slightly at the bright sunlight. It had been ages since she had been out of the Cave.

"Well? Come on!" Shayera said, using the strong breeze to carry herself to the exit.

Angel hesitated. "Erm, I'm not sure how to go forwards and stuff." She mumbled, blushing.

Shayera smiled sheepishly. "Woops. It's okay, just angle your wings slightly and flap them. The wind should do most of the work for now."

Angel nodded and stretched her wings out, and angled them slightly downwards. She gave a quick flap and she glided easily towards Hawkwoman.

"Huh," She said in surprise. "That was easier than I thought it would be."

"The wind does most of the work." Shayera explained, shrugging her shoulders. "Now, you ready for some real flying?"

A large smile passed across Angel's face. "You bet!"

* * *

Angel and Hawkwoman spent most of their time flying over the bay. Angel loved every single second of it.

Feeling weightless, having the wind stroke her feathers and doing all kinds of aerial feats… It was so addicting.

Shayera said she would have stayed out longer, but she had to get back to the Watchtower.

Before leaving, however, she put her hand on her protégé's shoulders and said, "Well, now that you can fly and defend yourself, you'd better think up a name!"

And with a smile, her mentor walked into the zeta rays and vanished.

Several minutes later, Angel wandered into the living room and sat down, contemplating her day so far.

Angel wanted to go flying again, but was too nervous to go try and find Red Tornado and ask him if she was allowed to go out onto the bay by herself. She was relaxed around Shayera and the Team now, but the other League members still intimidated her.

"Did you have a good time?" A robotic voice said from behind her.

She turned around slowly, relieved that she wouldn't have to hunt him down.

"Yes, thank you." Angel replied. "What have you been up too?"

"Contemplating whether tomatoes should be classified as fruits or vegetables." Said the red android.

Angel stifled a giggle. "I always wondered that too." She replied honestly.

Maybe being stuck in the Cave with only an android for company wouldn't be so bad after all. He seemed capable of having a good conversation.

"So how long have you been the Team's den mother?" Angel asked, directing the conversation away from tomatoes.

"Since they were first formed, about four years ago." Came the monotone reply.

"Wow." Angel said, impressed. "It must be hard, having to watch over a bunch of kids all the time."

Red Tornado shrugged, and odd gesture seeing as he was an android. "I do not mind. They have…" The robotic hero seemed to struggle for the right expression. "Grown on me." He settled with.

"Yea. They are quite a friendly bunch." Angel replied, thinking about last week when she had first met Artemis, Robin, Nightwing, Zatanna and Kid Flash.

"What's Wally's deal anyway?" Angel asked. Since she had arrived, KF hadn't really attempted to talk to her, and if he was forced to, he never met her eyes.

"He feels guilty." Red Tornado answered.

Angel stared in disbelief.

"About _what_?" She asked in confusion.

"He was one of the members of the squad present when you were kidnapped." The android explained. "He was knocked out by Cheshire, and then left on the roof while the house burned. He believes that he should have been able to wake himself up and rescue your family, and feels terrible about it."

"Oh." Angel tried to swallow the thick not in her throat. She didn't blame Wally, but the mention that her family could have been saved sent a flash of pain through her.

"Did I… Upset you?" The android said hesitantly, not meaning to cause the girl pain.

Angel blinked back her tears and said hoarsely. "No, I'm fine."

Despite this, Red Tornado somehow managed to look skeptical.

"So did he tell you all of this?" Angel asked, trying to direct the conversation away from painful memories.

"Many people in the Team confide in me when they feel bad about something." His monotone voice said. "Despite the fact that I am an android, most of the Team members seem to think I am best suited to have feelings talked about to."

"Huh. Was it always that way?"

"No. In the beginning, when Nightwing was still the first Robin and most of the current members hadn't joined, they thought the League had placed me here because I did not need to eat, drink or sleep and I didn't feel emotions, that I was heartless. Which is not true," He added. "My heart is made out of steel alloy, although Nightwing was unaware of the fact."

Angel almost had to stuff her fist in her mouth to keep her from laughing out loud.

"There were many other times when they misjudged me." The android continued, although not oblivious to Angel's reaction. It probably would be humorous for a human, he told himself.

"Really? Could you tell me about them?" Angel asked eagerly.

"Of course. I have nothing else to do in my spare time." Red said, easing himself down onto a sofa opposite Angel, even though it wasn't necessary. He didn't need to rest.

"There was this one time, when Zatanna first joined the Team…"

* * *

Several hours later, Angel was fast asleep on the couch. Red Tornado had stopped telling her stories of the Team's glory days, able to perceive that she was tired. She had insisted that she wasn't, that she wanted to hear more, but Red Tornado had insisted before leaving to go do whatever he did in his spare time.

So Angel had grabbed her book and started to read. But in a few minutes, her eyes closed, and her book slipped from her fingertips to the ground below.

It was like this that Robin found her.

After taking down several thugs in Gotham, Batman had granted the Boy Wonder permission to go to the Cave. Now, even the Dark Knight could tell there was something going on between the two and, albeit disgruntled, didn't stand in the way.

So Robin had quickly gone to the Gotham zeta beam teleporter and zipped his molecules to Mt. Justice.

Everything had been quiet when he had arrived, but Red Tornado came to greet him, already able to guess why he was here.

"She is in the living room." He informed Tim quietly before going back to his lair.

Robin, thinking that she probably wanted company, stopped as he saw her breathing evenly, her golden-brown hair falling into her face and her wings just visible, being pressed against her back.

For a moment, he just looked at her. She was so beautiful. Robin mentally berated himself, but the twinge of longing still wouldn't leave. Looking around, the Boy Wonder spotted a blanket and grabbed it.

Very quietly, Tim walked over to Angel and draped it over her. She stirred slightly and murmured something under her breath, but he couldn't make it out.

Feeling a wave of warmth and affection sweep over him, the Boy Wonder turned and went to go find something to do while he waited for Angel to wake up, leaving her to dream peacefully about Bluejays and flying in the sky.

* * *

D'aw, so sweet! Yes, a lot of bonding moments in this chapter. And by the next one, Angel will have her superhero name, AND will go on her first mission. So be patient peeps, it's coming soon!


	12. Chapter 12 Identity

Mwahaha! El costume (the costume, but the translation is pretty obvious XD) is revealed! And name!

* * *

Angel woke up later that same day, disoriented and confused. Last thing she remembered was reading Call of the Wild… She must have fallen asleep. But she didn't remember grabbing a blanket.

_Tornado? _She wondered inwardly.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" A voice said, breaking her out of her thoughts. With a smile, she turned to face the owner of the familiar voice.

"Robin!" She exclaimed.

Even though she had only seen him yesterday, it felt as if it had been ages since she had last seen him.

"Oui, mademoiselle?"(Yes, young lady?) The Boy Wonder said with a mock bow.

Angel laughed. "It's great to see you!" She said honestly.

A grin flashed across his face as Robin tried to contain his pleasure. "Great to see you too. So what happened while I was gone?" He asked, leaning against the couch.

"Well…" Angel said, bringing on the suspense. "I can fly now!" She burst out proudly.

Robin looked shocked, yet happy for her at the same time. "That's amazing! But you have to promise to carry me one day so I can dive-bomb into the bay." He said mock-seriously.

Angel brought her hand up to hide her giggle. "And Hawkwoman's promised me that I can go on missions now."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "That's surprising. Shayera doesn't normally promise things, especially in a fight. She just picks up her mace and starts swinging it. Doesn't really matter whether it's a good or bad guy."

Angel gave him a chiding look.

He lifted his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok, I won't bash your mentor anymore. But you do realize that if you're gonna go on missions, you need a superhero identity and a costume."

"Yea, I'm still thinking about that part." Angel said thoughtfully. "But it'll probably be related to my wings." She continued stretching her wings out slightly.

They had been getting bigger and bigger every day, albeit the growth rate was finally slowing. In terms of Hawkwoman's wings, Angel's were almost the same proportion for her body.

Robin nodded. "I would talk to the girls about costumes though," He said, another smile tugging at his lips. "Not really my thing."

Angel flashed him a grin.

"_Recognized, Miss Martian, B05. Zatanna, BO8. Artemis, B07. Superboy, BO4."_

The robotic voice announced.

Angel shielded her eyes as the lights flashed, signaling the arrival of the squad.

"Well, that was complete success." Artemis grumbled, and Angel noticed that all four were covered in sticky, greenish mud.

"What happened?" Robin asked tensely.

"Cheshire led us on a wild goose chase, that's what happened." Superboy retorted, his voice even angrier than usual.

"She lured us into the sewers." M'gann sighed. "She then proceeded to lock us up in one specific section. Thankfully, Superboy managed to break down the door easily enough, but she got away."

Zatanna pulled a face.

"If Nightwing doesn't chew us out, then Batman sure will. And it's bad enough that we're covered in mud already!" She groaned dramatically.

"Nightwing never chews _you_ out," Artemis grumbled. "He likes you too much."

Zatanna went pink and Angel couldn't resist the little chuckle that escaped her. The magician gave her a rueful smile while Robin cracked up as well.

"Well, it is true." M'gann said, causing even Superboy to crack a smile.

By now Robin was in tears. "You can bet that I'll be telling him that, Artemis." He choked out, his sides heaving with laughter.

The archer looked panicked. "No! He'll kill me if he found ou-" Her eyes narrowed as she realized that Robin was joking.

The young adult ground her teeth and growled out, "Why you little…"

"_Recognized, Nightwing, B01. Beast Boy, Beetle, B22." _The main computer said again.

"Speaking of the devil," Artemis muttered. "And he shall appear."

"Hey guys!" Beast Boy said eagerly.

"Hey, BB." Superboy said airily.

"Mission successful," Nightwing reported. "Scarecrow is behind bars again."

"He always manages to get away, doesn't he?" Robin said wryly.

"Yea. Sometimes it seems it seems as if the prisons around here don't even have guards." Blue Beetle complained.

"What about you four? Any news on the League of Shadows?" Nightwing asked the first squad.

Angel perked up. There was that name again.

The others were starting to look uncomfortable.

"We did manage to track down Cheshire, but she got away." M'gann hedged.

Nightwing frowned slightly, but it didn't seem as if he was in any danger of going crazy with anger.

"It's all right. We'll get her another time. Hit the showers." He told them.

Angel raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem_ that_ scary.

Slowly, the other Team members trailed out of the room until only Robin, Angel and Nightwing were left.

"The way they were talking about you before, I almost expected you to grow horns and a forked tail before poking them with a pitchfork." Angel said pointedly.

Nightwing grinned. "Got to keep them on their toes, otherwise, no respect. Right Rob?"

Robin cackled. "Yea, I am absolutely terrified of this guy," He said, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably.

"Yea, I can see that." Angel said cheekily.

Nightwing shook his head in mock horror.

"Robin, you're rubbing off on her!" He joked.

"Yea, Robin. It's _your_ fault!" Angel said, playing along.

Robin faux-gasped. "Oh no, you have discovered my evil plan!"

The trio collapsed into laughter.

"Well, I do have some good news." Angel gasped out, managing to calm herself down.

"What's that?" Nightwing questioned.

"Hawkwoman said that I can go on missions, now that I know how to fly." She said proudly.

Nightwing smiled. "That's great! You'll be a good addition to the t- Wait; did you say you could fly now?"

Angel grinned at his confused expression. "Yea."

She started to flap her wings. It was even easier than it was last time. In a few moments, she was hovering above both heroes' heads.

Nightwing whistled. "Yep, you'll definitely be a good addition to the team."

Angel floated down, landing lightly on her feet. "I just need to get a name and costume sorted out, and I'll be totally eligible for the Team." She said.

Nightwing nodded. "Yea, no use being a superhero if you don't have a secret identity."

Robin nodded solemnly.

Angel pondered her options thoughtfully.

Then a grin lit up her eyes. "You guys go off do superhero stuff. I have an idea."

She raced off, leaving the two boys in confusion.

* * *

"I asked if you could help me, not prevent me from breathing!" Angel whined.

"Hold… Still…" M'gann mumbled, fiddling with the fabric.

Zatanna sighed. "This'll be a lot easier if I used magic."

"True," Artemis noted, leaning against the wall.

"Fine!" M'gann growled, stepping away from her fashion victim. It was obvious that, although she was great at cooking and shape-shifting, fashion was not her strong suite.

Angel glared at her while Zatanna murmured an incantation.

"Sserd ni eht sehtolc ehs sehsiw!" She said, pointing at Angel.

The beautiful blue fabric she had chosen reformed itself, along with several new tidbits appearing out of nowhere.

"Is this fine?" The magician questioned.

Angel broke into a grin. "It's brilliant! Exactly what I had in mind!"

"Well, I did cast a spell that put you in the costume you had in mind." Zatanna shrugged with a smile.

Angel was now dressed in lace-up leather boots that reached to the top of her calves and pants that were the exact color of her wings and reached up to her belt. Instead of having one, though, she had two belts that crisscrossed each other to meet with a silver buckle. Leather gloves that cut off at the base of her fingers adorned her hands, giving her fingers flexibility to move easily. Her top was quite similar to Artemis', although it was blue, was lacking the arrow shape on the chest, and went down to her hips, joining the top section of the belt and leaving both sides of her midriff. Two sheaths hung from the belt's sides, for twin daggers.

But something was missing…

"Erm, do you know where I could get a mask?" Angel said sheepishly.

"Oops! Wait a sec," Zatanna muttered another spell, and a mask appeared in Angel's hands. It was shaped like a domino mask, although the reflective lenses were missing, and it was covered in blue feathers.

Artemis made a noise of approval.

"I like it. Very… Birdie." She said, walking around Angel.

"Now all you need is a name." M'gann said.

Angel smiled wryly. "I have the perfect one in mind."

"Do tell." Zatanna said.

Angel pointed at her belt buckle, and the three other girls realized that it was in the shape of a B.

"I think Bluejay would fit nicely, don't ya think?"

* * *

Angel was actually rather nervous to show herself to her new teammates now that she was in costume. What would they think of it? Would it be considered weird?

More importantly, what would _Robin_ think? Angel shuddered at the thought.

M'gann and Artemis both seemed to notice her distress.

The archer put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You'll do fine." She said confidently.

Zatanna had gone to Nightwing so he could put Angel's new name and designation into the main computer, so it was only Miss M, Artemis and the newly name Bluejay.

Her wings were quivering, but whether with nervousness or excitement, she couldn't tell. She really badly felt like flying out onto the Bay to spend some alone time, but that would mean going into the main cave. Aka, passing Robin and Nightwing and any other heroes that were there.

She gulped. The draft was back again, although it was warm this time, and sweet-smelling, like flowers on a hot summer's day.

"Where is this wind coming from?" She asked Artemis and M'gann aloud.

M'gann shrugged. "I don't know actually. But the Cave is normally sealed up tight. And I always feel it around you. I wonder…"

"Nightwing, Robin, Kid Flash, Artemis and Bluejay, briefing in five." Batman's voice echoed around the Cave.

"That's us." Artemis said.

"Great." Bluejay mumbled.

* * *

Mwahaha! Now you have to wait until tomorrow to read the next chapter! I had a really tough time trying to describe Angel's Bluejay costume, but that's the best I can do XD.


	13. Chapter 13 Ignorance

First mission=HALLELUJAH !

Maros-sad-song, thanks so much, I never thought people would like this so much! And don't worry about the double-post XD.

kickakora, thanks, I'm so happy that people are enjoying my fan-fic!

Abbie Brown, yes I am sure Bruce does give him flirting lessons. Where else could he get the charm? XD

* * *

Angel, now named the Bluejay, took in a deep breath. In a few minutes, she would be given her first ever mission.

Beside her, Artemis had a hand on her shoulder still.

"Do we have to go?" Angel said, slightly nervous. She was still uncertain on whether or not the Team would accept her. Well, accept the Bluejay that is.

"They won't bite your head off." Artemis coaxed. "And if they did, they would have to face me."

"Oh, Heaven forbid!" Angel said, a smile touching her lips, although her green eyes, unhidden by her feather mask, still seemed distressed.

"We should go; otherwise Batman'll have our heads." Artemis pushed Angel forward slightly.

This time, the new hero started to walk forwards, albeit still apprehensive. Artemis was right behind her.

Angel tried to not to look at everyone else as she walked into the room, flanked by Artemis, although she couldn't resist peeking at Robin.

The Boy Wonder seemed to be redder than usual, and was concentrating very, very hard not to stare at her. Angel felt a flash of hurt go through her. Was she really that hard to look at?

Everyone else, however, seemed to be very pleased at her appearance.

Nightwing flashed her an easy grin, and gave her a thumbs up, while Kid Flash gave her a look-over and smiled. Even Batman gave a nod of approval, although it was probably because of how practical the costume was.

"Looking good! You're going to fit right in!" Wally crowed, at her side in a flash.

But at Artemis' glare, he smiled sheepishly and said, "Of course, you're looking amazing too, beautiful."

Bluejay rolled her eyes. It was obvious that they had affections for each other, even though their relationship wasn't as apparent ad M'gann's and Superboy's.

"Alright, down to business." Batman said, interrupting Bluejay's thoughts. "Clayface has escaped his prison,"

"Again," Wally muttered, earning him a bat-glare.

"And has been spotted with Cheshire and Black Spider in Berlin. They are all needed for questioning," Batman's gaze flicked ever so quickly towards Bluejay. "Your mission is simple. Capture them, and the League will take it from there."

The squad nodded affirmative. Batman scowled and muttered, "Good." Before turning and sweeping towards the Zeta Beams.

Nightwing and Robin exchanged an eye roll.

"We can take the Super Cycle." Superboy said, arms crossed.

"The Super what now?" Bluejay asked in confusion.

"The Super Cycle is a piece of alien technology, capable of feelings and such." Wally explained, waving his hands around.

"Great description KF." Nightwing said dryly.

Robin and Artemis both chuckled.

"Let's go then." Superboy said impatiently.

"Way ahead of you Supey." Wally slid his goggles over his eyes before zipping to the main hangar.

Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Wait up, Baywatch!" She called out, walking towards the exit.

Superboy and Nightwing both followed suit.

Robin started following them and Angel fell into step beside him.

"So what is the League of Shadows anyway?" She asked curiously.

Without looking at her, Robin said flatly, "The League of Shadows is a group of expert assassins led by Ra's al Ghul. They can be hired by anyone and everyone. They were the ones who kidnapped you."

"Oh." Angel said, pondering this information. "So why didn't they kill me then?"

"I guess that you were only considered good enough as a delivery job." He said in the same, uncaring voice, once again not looking at her.

Angel's temper flared. What was _up _with him?

"Nice to see that you have the same opinion!" She snapped, walking faster to catch up with Superboy, feathers ruffled with anger.

He looked at her, obviously able to tell something was wrong.

"What happened?" He questioned, turning his head slightly.

Bluejay didn't look back. She didn't want to see Robin's uncaring expression.

"Robin is being a boy." She said, suddenly bleak.

Superboy raised an eyebrow, and she realized her mistake.

"I didn't mean…" She trailed off, blushing.

"Don't worry about it. And anyway, you're right." He said, a wry smile on his face. "Boys are buttheads."

"Totally." Angel laughed.

* * *

Five hours later, the squad was over Berlin.

"Set the Super Cycle down." Nightwing ordered.

The engine purred, and the heroes landed softly in a small clearing in a forest that occupied some of the area next to Berlin. Superboy and Wolf were first to jump out, both landing softly on the springy grass.

Robin and Artemis were next, the latter ignoring Bluejay completely. She felt a tide of anger rise in her and glared at the back of his head.

This is what had happened during the whole trip. Angel would ask something, hoping to get more than two syllables out of the Boy Wonder. He would reply in short, expressionless sentences, causing Bluejay to become furious and stay silent for about fifteen minutes before she felt bad and tried to coax Robin into a conversation again.

"Ladies first." Nightwing said, gesturing towards the ground.

Bluejay smiled at him, although it didn't reach her eyes, and glided to the ground.

Nightwing was curious. Both Angel and Tim had been acting funny the entire trip, and he had no idea why, although he suspected that Robin was being difficult for a good reason.

"Alright, we're splitting up." Nightwing directed quietly once he had launched himself from the Cycle to the ground. "Superboy, you and Bluejay can start by sweeping the west side of town, BJ from above, and you from the ground. Artemis and Wolf can take the east side, and KF takes the streets while Robin and I take the rooftops. Do not engage if you find the Shadows until you've alerted the rest of the squad. Are we clear?"

The Team nodded in unison.

"Ok, go!"

Immediately, Bluejay launched herself into the sky and headed north-west, followed from the ground by Superboy. Nightwing and Robin vanished into the shadows, leaving Artemis and Wolf to head east.

* * *

"So what's up with you and Bluejay?" Nightwing said lightly as he and Tim jumped from rooftop to rooftop, although he remained attentive.

"There's nothing going on." Came the flat reply.

Nightwing frowned. "You know what I mean. You've been ignoring her since back at the Cave!"

"No I haven't!" Robin said edgily. "I reply when she speaks to me after all!"

"But that's _all_ you do, and never in more than two words!" Nightwing retorted.

"So?"

"You're hurting her feelings, Tim."

Robin hesitated for second, just a second, but Nightwing grasped that.

"Why are you acting this way to her? Just this afternoon you two were acting like best buds, and now you're pushing her away."

"I-I have my reasons." Robin said quietly.

"What reasons? She's acting hurt all the time thanks to your attitude, and you don't seem to care!" Nightwing burst out.

Robin paused to glare at Nightwing for a moment.

"We should be concentrating on the mission, not talking about our civilian lives." He said, turning his gaze forwards.

Nightwing sighed. He'd get it out of him later.

* * *

On the other side of Bern, Bluejay and Superboy were scouring the city.

"Found anything?" Artemis said edgily through their communications.

"No, nothing yet." Superboy answered, leaping from building to building in effortless bounds.

"Nightwing?"

"Zilch, as the inhabitants of Germany like to say." He said dryly.

Bluejay sighed quietly. But something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

"Superboy, look!" She hissed.

But the Boy of Steel had already seen it.

"Nightwing? We found the targets."

* * *

Ooh la la! Lots of drama, even if the chapter is short. More tomorrow!


	14. Chapter 14 Victory

Bluejay's going one on one with her first villains! *rubs hands together* This should be fun! Lots of pain and drama coming right up!

* * *

"We're coming to you location." Nightwing said into the squad's earpieces.

"Can we go ahead and fight them?" Superboy asked, for once partially eager.

"Go ahead, but be careful. Bluejay hasn't fought with anyone yet; she's still raw."

"I can hear you, you know." Angel said, slightly miffed. "Don't worry."

She thought she heard a low chuckle from Superboy, but decided to ignore it. Silently, she glided down towards the alley where she and Superboy had spotted Black Spider, Clayface and Cheshire. Seeing the female assassin again sent shivers down her spine, but she was determined to stay strong for the mission.

"So what's the game plan?" She asked Superboy as she alighted on a roof, hands reaching towards her waist where her new twin daggers hung.

Superboy grinned. "We attack."

Not bothering to wait for her, the Boy of Steel swung himself over the edge and disappeared into the darkness of the alley-way.

With a sigh, Bluejay followed, albeit more carefully. She could already hear the sounds of fists meeting flesh.

Once she had a clear shot, Angel folded her wings against her and dived down, relishing in the thrill.

Superboy had taken on Clayface by himself, leaving Black Spider and Cheshire to circle around them, darting forward to give a quick blow before flitting backwards again, taunting him.

Red filled Bluejay's vision as her eyes locked on Cheshire. With a fierce yell, she flew towards the assassin, drawing out her daggers as she did so.

Cheshire only had the time to look up in shock before Bluejay barreled into her, sending them both into the brick walls that made up the alley.

Cheshire got the worst of the blow, yet she didn't seem worse for wear. Bluejay, on the other hand, was trying to keep herself from groaning out loud.

"My, my, how you've grown." Cheshire purred, kicking Angel off her.

She fell to the floor and skidded a couple of feet, but she was soon back in the air, green eyes blazing behind her feathered mask.

"Murderer!" She ground out before diving forwards again, daggers raised.

Cheshire lifted her sais and easily blocked her attempted blows, their sharp points gleaming in the dim light. Once again, she sent Bluejay reeling, this time into a dustbin.

"Murderer is such a strong word," The assassin said, stepping forwards casually. "I was only doing my job. And anyway, it wasn't as if your family was in pain as they burned… I had the kindness to drug them before I left to deliver you."

All these words achieved were to make Angel more and more furious.

She threw herself at Cheshire, this time ready for the block. She fluidly went under it and managed to slice Cheshire's mask slightly before she was thrown back. But this time, there was no hesitation.

Every time she went down, Bluejay stood back up and launched herself at the assassin again and again. Soon, Cheshire's relaxed façade started to fade and she didn't try to goad the furious girl anymore, instead focusing on blocking Angel's rash stabs and slices with her sais.

In terms of skill, there was no question that Cheshire was ahead, but Bluejay's fury made her relentless. Everything started to fade out, and she didn't notice when Kid Flash arrived, helping Superboy out in his fight against Clayface and Black Spider.

There was only the fury.

Because of this, however, Angel was also unaware of the strong wind that was pulling around the two of them. Cheshire's hair, as well as her own, was whipping around in the breeze, but she seemed as unaware of it as Bluejay.

Soon, Cheshire started to gain a little more leeway as Bluejay started to tire, still unaccustomed to the vigorous training her teammates had received. But every once in a while, Angel would break through and manage to land a punch, or cut the assassin with her daggers.

After a couple of minutes, both were battered, cut up and bruised, but the fighting didn't stop. As Angel tired, Cheshire to get in more and more blows, causing the hero to lose ground.

"So what did you call yourself? You seem to be following the little bird theme. Not wise, my dear." Cheshire purred, her confidence growing back as she blocked another blow and proceeded to give one of her own, needing Angel in the stomach.

Bluejay gasped as all the air left her body at once, and just managed to keep herself from crumpling.

"Little birds are the ones that see the most though." Angel hissed out.

"But it happens oh so often that those little birds get eaten by cats!" Cheshire snarled, her sai slicing through the tender skin on Angel's cheek.

The wound stung, and Angel was vaguely aware that it was bleeding, but continued to fight.

Finally, however, Cheshire gained the upper hand. Somersaulting over Angel's head and wings, the assassin landed behind her.

Bluejay wasn't sure what happened, but she felt sharp, contrasting pressures on her right wing and then heard a sharp crack. Blinding pain emanating from her wing sent the rookie staggering.

The wind stopped blowing.

She feebly tried to turn, to find Cheshire, but the pain was distracting her, leaving her vulnerable. There was a second when she thought that Cheshire must have left to help her colleagues, but the assassin picked her up and threw her.

For a moment, Bluejay was flying again. But then she hit the wall, sending even more agony racing through her broken wing and made her cry out. Everything was getting dark and fuzzy…

Feeling utterly defeated, Angel slumped against the wall, unable to fight the black veil that was descending over her mind. Her eyelids slipped closed, and she welcomed the darkness with open arms, eager to escape the pain.

The situation started to feel déjà-vu as she vaguely remembered that the situation had been similar just after she had been captured. The pain hadn't been so great, and the darkness was more sluggish and warm… But it was practically the same.

Dully, she heard shouting and grunts of pain as if from afar.

Determination flooded through her. She couldn't leave her new friends like this. She would _not_ be helpless again.

With an effort that felt practically super-human, Angel fought through the sluggish darkness and struggled to open her eyes.

There was a dull roaring in her ears now, and at first Bluejay could only discern colorful shapes, darting around.

One shape, more familiar than the others, broke away from the melee and came towards her. Everything was starting to become a little clearer now, and she could tell that the most colorful shapes, the moving ones, were probably the Team and the Shadows fighting against each other, although which was which, she couldn't say.

The shape that had broken away from the others, the one she had deemed familiar, was in a humanoid shape. Red, yellow and black made it up, although the colors were blurred together.

It crouched down, and faintly she felt a touch, light as butterfly wings on her cheek, tracing the cut Cheshire had made.

"Bluejay?" It said anxiously, its voice sounding distorted and distant.

For a moment, Angel was confused. That wasn't her name… But then reality kicked in again and she relaxed.

Only a friend, a hero would know her new superhero name for now.

"Bluejay? Angel?" The voice was sounding more and more frantic. "Are you alright?"

She wanted to tell it that she was fine, but her mouth seemed disconnected from the rest of her body. _Everything_ felt disconnected actually.

But she could see another shape disconnect from the battle and dart towards her and the friend.

She struggled to make words, and although her body was sluggish, her mind was panicking.

If she didn't do something, the friend would be hurt.

She managed to make her mouth move, although she was uncertain if any sound had come from it.

She tried again, anxiety making everything just a little more clear.

"Be… Hind… You." Angel said feebly.

She still couldn't recognize the friend, but by the way it whirled around, it seemed to understand.

It launched itself at the enemy, and the resounding clangs from the battle made Angel's head ring. But she struggled to make it through all the layers of unconsciousness and dizziness. The last biggest barrier she couldn't make it through, but she could tell that some parts of her body were working again.

Letting her blurred gaze travel downwards, she spotted one of her daggers, covered in blood. She wasn't sure whether or not it was hers or Cheshire's, but it didn't matter.

Her fingers twitched, and slowly, her hand started to edge towards it. After what seemed like a million years, her hand grasped the dagger.

With a huge effort, Bluejay lifted it up. Her eyesight was still blurry, but some instinct told her that no matter how she threw it, the dagger would hit its mark.

She didn't want to kill the enemy. It would make her as bad as Cheshire was. But a distraction… Yes, a distraction would do.

Grasping the dagger by its blade, the sharp edges unable to penetrate the hard leather of her gloves, she threw it at the blurry figure.

Her aim was perfect.

Twisting hilt over blade, the dagger flew towards her target. It landed hilt-first against the enemy's head with a sharp crack.

The second shape dropped.

Tired by the effort, however, Angel didn't try to stay conscious to taste her victory. The pain was back again, a dull ache, and she wanted it to go away.

She wanted to go home.

But she knew that wasn't possible, and she sank into unconsciousness with a bitter taste on her tongue and grief welling up in her heart.

* * *

Every few minutes, Bluejay would wake up again, stirred into reality by pain. After a couple of seconds of delirious mumbling, however, she would slip back into sleep.

Nightwing watched her, curious and anxious at the same time.

Angel's right wing had been practically snapped in two, and the Team had only brought along a small first aid kit. Out of the group, she had by far received the worst wounds. Besides her wing, Angel had bruises and cuts all over her body, not to mention two cracked ribs and a slightly fractured cranium.

Superboy had said that she and Cheshire had been fighting like maniacs the whole time. She had seemed to be holding her own, so he had concentrated on fighting Clayface and Black Spider, who were both trussed up, gagged and blind-folded along with Cheshire in the back of the Super-Cycle with Wally and Artemis keeping a watchful eye on them.

The Boy of Steel had also mentioned that there had been a sort of mini-hurricane around the two of them after a while, though they had both been concentrating too fiercely to notice it.

Once Wally had arrived, Cheshire had seemed to be gaining the upper hand, but Bluejay managed to hold her own. It was only until that Cheshire broke Angel's wing that they realized how the only thing keeping the girl going had been determination.

Soon after, Artemis, Wolf, Nightwing and the Boy Wonder bumped into each other and continued to where the others were fighting. The moment they had arrived, Robin had spotted Bluejay, battered and broken against the wall. Nightwing had told him to go check her over while he and the others fought the Shadows.

He had been eager to comply, and had been frantic with worry over her. He said that she had managed to stay conscious enough to throw her dagger at Cheshire, who had engaged him.

Now, contrary to his behavior earlier, Robin had been hovering over Angel the entire way back to Mt. Justice.

Nightwing suspected that Tim had good reasons for pretending that he didn't care about Angel, but the act had dropped the moment he had seen her so grievously injured. If the situation hadn't been so dire, the ex-protégé would have laughed.

"We're almost home." Superboy reported.

"Good," Nightwing said. "Bluejay needs medical attention right away."

Robin seemed restless, constantly checking on Angel. Nightwing put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, causing Tim to look at him.

"You don't have to tell me," Dick said quietly, referring to Robin's earlier behavior. "But don't worry. She'll be fine."

Tim was quiet for a moment before saying slowly. "I hope you're right."

* * *

A couple of hours later, they had arrived at Mt. Justice.

Batman, along with one of the Green Lanterns, Flash and Hawkwoman had been awaiting their arrival. Soon, GL had put the three villains in a green bubble, ready to tow them off for questioning.

Hawkwoman and Flash decided to stay so they could check on Angel, who was still slipping in and out of consciousness.

Before Batman left, however, he pulled Tim aside a murmured something to him. After a few moments hesitation, Robin nodded.

In a rare show of affection, the Dark Knight ruffled his protégé's hair before following GL out.

As he passed Nightwing, he told him,

"Make sure he doesn't beat himself up over this mission."

Nightwing had nodded solemnly and let his mentor pass him.

He sighed. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Yes, she is once again unconscious, but I so wanted Tim to be all dramatic over it. And anyway, she did help save the mission. I might be able to post another chapter this afternoon, but no guarantees.


	15. Chapter 15 Lonely

Ok, ok. I promise no more unconsciousness until the next 5-6 chapters XD. Unless you guys want some unconsciousness of course. *bows* I live to serve the people! And OMG! The new episode of YJ= Crazy awesomeness and weirdness!

* * *

Angel groaned. Eyelids flickering open, she saw a white roof above her.

"Not _again_!" She complained, sitting up.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Shayera teased, leaning against the wall.

Angel smiled back at her, but it faded slightly as malcontent settled over her.

She sighed. "I got knocked out again, didn't I?"

Grimacing, her mentor nodded.

"You'd have thought I'd be able to stay conscious now and then." She tried to grin, but it turned out as a grimace. "So what happened?"

"Just after you got knocked out, the others arrived. Clayface, Black Spider and Cheshire are all in for questioning." Shayera reported.

"How badly did I do?" Angel queried.

"Apparently, not so bad actually. You and Cheshire were head for head until she broke your wing."

Angel's expression turned horrified. "My wing is _broken_?"

"Don't worry. Thanks to the experimenting Cadmus did on you, you heal faster than normal. Still, it was a pretty bad break." Hawkwoman soothed.

"Well, at least I managed to help this time," Angel said thoughtfully. "Who was it that I hit on the head again? I remember throwing my dagger at someone and the hilt knocked them unconscious."

Shayera grinned. "It was Cheshire. Great aim, by the way, for someone who was partially unconscious. You could have just as easily hit Robin by accident."

Angel scoffed. "Now that I think about it, maybe I would have preferred that scenario."

Shayera raised an eyebrow. "What did he do?"

"Just acted like a complete jerk during the whole mission," Her protégé retorted.

"Strange. I thought you two were getting rather close." Shayera said thoughtfully.

"That's what _I _thought as well." Angel grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

In truth, she was more hurt than angry, but she didn't want to tell anyone that.

"Apparently there were a few strange sightings there as well," Shayera said meaningfully.

Angel frowned. "What happened?"

"There was a mini tornado in the alley."

"I don't remember a tornado."

"Yea, Superboy said you and Cheshire were pretty concentrated on fighting each other." Shayera chuckled.

Angel raised an eyebrow. "So where did it come from?"

"Apparently, from you."

"From me?" Angel said incredulously. "I don't see how!"

"Batman thinks that they messed up more than just a little of your DNA. Do you remember any information about when you were kidnapped?" Shayera asked.

Angel frowned. "Besides the pain? Not much. But it's true that every once in a while I would hear people talking. It was most vivid just before they changed my DNA, but…"

* * *

"_Her DNA makes her compatible." The first voice she remembered hearing said faintly._

"_Yes. Being a descendant of the original makes it a lot easier than just some random kid picked off the street." _

"_Do you think the League has already pieced together why we want her?"_

"_Unlikely."_

"_So should I make a mixture of the original'sDNA? Or just the enhancer?"_

"_Put a little bit of both. That way we can be certain…"_

_At this point, Angel faded back into unconsciousness…_

* * *

"Angel?"

"Sorry, just remembering."

"Anything useful to us?" Shayera asked.

"They said something about my DNA being compatible… That I was a descendant of the original, whatever that is." Angel said cautiously, struggling to get more memories to resurface. "They injected something into me, that much I can remember. There was more blabbing about the original, and the first voice asked if they should use an… Enhancer in a mixture of some sort. He also said if the original's DNA was enough."

Shayera frowned. "Maybe Batman can find something. But it's possible that they'll have to take blood samples."

Angel shuddered inwardly. She hated needles.

"Don't worry, its fine." She said.

"Alright. I normally should have left 15 minutes ago, so I'd better be leaving. Are you going to be fine on your own?" Shayera asked.

Angel smiled faintly. "I'll be fine." She said.

Hesitantly, Shayera gave a nod of understanding before exiting the room.

Sighing, Angel leaned back against her pillows and stared absently at the ceiling.

Then she realized she had forgotten to ask how long she had been unconscious, and remembered that someone had immediately come to her side when she had faded into unconsciousness.

Who had it been? She struggled to remember details, but it was too fuzzy.

"Whoever it was, they'd better be grateful that I saved their life." She grumbled, turning onto her side, wincing slightly at the pain in her wing.

Angel tried to look over her shoulder to examine her wing. It seemed alright, but it definitely hurt.

Relaxing again, Angel tried to get comfortable for the next ten minutes. She tried everything. Fluffed up her pillow, changed positions constantly, threw the quilt off her then pulled it back on.

In the end, she just glared up at the ceiling.

"I hate getting hurt." She grumbled.

* * *

About an hour later, it finally occurred to her that she could just get up and leave her room. She stood up without much trouble and walked to the door, feet slapping softly against the carpet that occupied the floor.

She opened the door and peeked out. No one was there. If she could just make a quick trip to her bedroom…

She strode quickly throughout the halls, not meeting anyone in her path. In a matter of minutes, she was inside her room. Everything seemed unchanged, except her superhero costume was lying on the top of her bed, clean and undamaged.

She stared at for a second, but went over to her closet. Soon, she was in the flared sleeve shirt that Zatanna had made for her, a pair of comfy black jeans and some worn, brown boots. She then proceeded to grab a book from the already large pile that took up a small desk and left.

She went to the living room and was about to sit down and read for a while when she remembered the music room in one of the deeper sections of the Cave. Taking her book with her, she went exploring to see if she could find it again.

It was easier to find than the last time, but Angel still had to make a few detours to get to it. She put the book down onto the coffee table and headed straight for the piano. She had lifted the lid when she noticed a couple of music books lying on the top.

She rifled through a couple of them until she found some good old Bach. She settled down, propping the music in from of her and started to play his piano concerto number 5.

She hummed softly under her breath as she played, but she felt kind of lonely. Where was everyone else?

With a pang, Angel felt a sense of déjà vu from the last time she had played on this piano.

She was rather curious, and hurt, about why Robin was treating her so differently to when they had first met. Had she said something to offend him?

Coming out her thoughts, she realized she had stopped playing. With a sigh of disgust at herself, she stood up and closed the lid. She looked around, absently thinking of her possible options.

She could go flying, but her wing was still healing. She could read, but her mind would undoubtedly drift back to Robin. Maybe she could train… Possibly try to see if Shayera was right and the wind had come from her. But Angel had absolutely no idea what would trigger it.

"Great." She muttered to herself. "You choose this specific time to become conscious, and there's nothing to do. Go figure."

She walked back to the main cave and just stood there for a second. Would it be too weird for her to just wait for someone to come?

But she didn't have anything else to do. So with a reluctant sigh, Angel leaned against the wall and have slid, have sat on the floor. Her fingers started to tap the floor in an incessant rhythm that was annoying, even if it was her that was doing it.

"What are you doing?" A monotone voice said from above.

Angel glanced up in surprise. "Red! I thought I was alone!"

The robot used his powers over tornadoes to drift down to the floor. "I am required to stay at the Cave, especially if there are Team members present."

Angel leaned her head against the wall and eyed Red Tornado. "You wouldn't have something for me to do, would you?" She sighed.

He shook his head. "Currently, I am afraid not. But if you give me some time, I am certain that something will come to mind."

"Great." Angel said. "I need something to distract me."

Red thought for a moment. Well, it seemed like he was thinking, even though his metal face remained expressionless.

"Perhaps you can go down to the beach." He said after a couple of seconds of silence.

"To do what?" Angel asked.

If he could have, she was sure Red would have shrugged. "I do not know. Whenever one of the Team is bored, they go down to the beach."

Angel thought this over for a second. "Well, I could use a little sun…" She said thoughtfully. "Thanks Red!"

"You are welcome."

But by this time, Angel was already striding into a hallway to go find a swimsuit and towel.

* * *

Angel felt great. Nothing beat lying down on a beach, the sun warming up her feathers. Every once in a while, when the sun become a little too hot, she would wade into the sea and splash around a bit. Of course, it wasn't as fun as it would have been if friends had been with her, but it gave her time to think.

The beach she was on was on the other side of the mountain, so no one was able to see her wings. She was utterly at peace.

"Hey girl!" A voice called out.

Turning, Angel spotted Bumblebee running towards her, hand waving in the air.

"Hey!" She yelled back, smiling.

"I first to get back from patrol, and Red told me you were on the beach. So I'd thought I'd join you." Bumblebee panted as she came to a stop beside Angel.

"Great idea. As much as I love the sun, I need a little girl time too." Angel agreed.

Karen put her towel down and sat on it, paddling the water with her feet.

"So, I know you've only been a part of the Team for a week, but have any of the guys caught your eye?" She grinned.

Angel blushed. Her thoughts immediately wandered to Robin, but she pushed it away. "Nobody really interesting me so far…"

Karen raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," Angel hedged. "Maybe a little…"

"Who? I bet its Robin."

As Angel blushed even further, Bumblebee grinned.

"I was right!"

"Yea, but he's been kind of a jerk lately." Angel admitted, thoughts flashing back to his cold behavior.

Bumblebee raised an eyebrow. "What did he do?"

"Well, at first he was all friendly and stuff, but now… He kind of… Just ignores me. You should have seen him on the last mission." She rolled her eyes.

Bumblebee scoffed. "Yea, the guys round here have constant mood swings."

It was Angel's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You got that right."

* * *

Girl talk! XD. Bumblebee is quite the gossip queen, eh?


	16. Chapter 16 Thoughts

Omg we are at chapter 16!

RHatch89, thanks so much for the compliment! I'm so happy that people are enjoying my fan fiction!

Maros-Sad-Song, yea, I pretty much tried to imagine how I would feel if a guy treated me that way. And guess what I came up with? Infuriated, angry, all those negative emotions XD!

* * *

Several hours later, the rest of the Team started to trickle in. Most had been on patrol with their mentors, such as Robin, but a couple of others had just been at school or sent on missions. Angel was annoyed at the fact that she'd have to wait a while to go on missions again.

"I mean, it's not fair!" Angel complained. "I heal super quickly, you said so yourself, and I've only just got the privilege to go on missions!"

"I know it's annoying," Shayera soothed her protégé. "But most of your skill lies in your flying, and with a broken wing, you won't be getting anywhere. But I promise once you're fit enough, I'll show you some aerial maneuvers, alright?"

Angel started to feel bad at how she'd been acting. "No, it's fine. I'll wait as long as you want me to."

Shayera hesitated for a moment, easily able to see through Angel's attempt.

"Go, I'll be fine," Angel made a shooing gesture with her hands.

Hawkwoman shrugged and turned to leave, but Angel just remembered something.

"Wait!" Shayera stopped, and looked back with a raised eyebrow.

"I just wanted to know how long I was out, and who it was that found me in the back of the alley." She queried.

Shayera's mouth twitched into a smile. "For your first question, only two days. And for the second, it was Robin."

Angel stared at her, stupefied. Shayera shrugged.

"Men will be men!" She called out before flying into the zeta tube.

After the flash of light, Angel started to feel annoyance surge through her.

"First, I find out that I can't train and go on missions until I'm fully recovered," She grumbled to herself. "Then she tells me that I was out for two days and that I was saved by the Boy freaking Wonder!"

Oh, he was _so_ gonna get confronted for this later.

* * *

"Hey, Angel!" Nightwing called out.

"Hi!" She spat venomously, stalking into one of the hallways.

Nightwing raised an eyebrow, wondering what had gotten into her.

Quietly, he followed her into the deepest rooms in the Cave.

"Never found much use for this room," He remarked, watching as she walked over to one of the couches and sat down in a huff. "But I'm guessing you like it, being so musically influenced and all."

Angel muttered something intelligible, glaring at the piano.

Nightwing frowned. "What's wrong?"

Angel looked up at him, her green eyes confused and hurt. "It's just…" She tried to explain, waving her hands around as she tried to find a way to explain how she felt.

"It's just everything's going so _wrong_." She said lamely.

"What kind of wrong?" Nightwing asked curiously.

Angel sighed. "Well, first off, I've been temporarily suspended from training and missions until my wing is healed," Nightwing cracked a smile at that one. "But it's also the way Robin's been acting. I mean, at first he's really friendly and nice to me, but now he's just so… So…"

She was at a loss for words again.

"So stubborn? Bull-headed? Rude?" Nightwing suggested.

Angel smiled. "How'd you guess? Has he been acting the same way to you?"

"Nah, I just noticed how weird he was around you during the mission." He said, embarrassed.

"Yea. And just now, Hawkwoman told me that he was the one that found me at the back of the alley. I was only half-conscious, but I still remember that he was all warm and fuzzy again." Angel continued, her voice trailing off into confusion at the end.

Nightwing grinned. "To be honest, I think he really does like you. When you were unconscious, he was worse than an old grandmother. Now, I don't know what his problem is, but I can try to wheedle it out of him."

Angel looked at him skeptically. "You sure you can make him talk?"

Nightwing laughed. "Cross my heart."

Angel smiled again. "Thanks, Nightwing."

"No problem kid."

* * *

Later on that day, Nightwing was waiting in the Batcave for Batman and Robin to return from their daily rounds. Alfred was happy to keep the old man company, telling him stories on what he had missed since he had given up the Robin mantle to become Nightwing.

"So, he had-" The roaring from the Batmobile interrupted the butler.

"Nightwing?" Batman said curiously as he leaped from the car onto the ground, not bothering to open the car door as usual.

Robin leaped out the other side, a curious expression on his face.

"Batman, I was wondering if I could borrow Tim for a while. Go on a patrol." Nightwing asked, keeping a poker face.

Batman's eyes narrowed for a second, but he nodded slowly.

Robin, for his part, looked utterly confused.

Nightwing rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to kill you."

A small, half-smile appeared on Bruce's face, but in the next split-second he was as solemn as ever.

"Go ahead Tim," He said, turning and walking towards the Batcomputer. "It would be good for you to spend some time with Dick."

"Sure, I don't mind." Robin said, albeit still confused.

Nightwing grinned. "Bet you can't keep up!"

In the next moment, he had melted into the shadows almost as quickly as Batman.

"Hey! Wait up!" Tim yelped before trying to pick up the elder's tracks.

* * *

Dick and Tim were both sitting easily on one of the many gargoyles that occupied Gotham's churches and museums.

"So what did you _really_ drag me out for?" Robin asked, his leg dangling over the edge.

Nightwing was quiet for a while. "It's about Angel again."

Robin sighed, but it was more defeated than anything else.

Nightwing pressed on. "So what's up with you? I know you're only pretending to be indifferent about her. The last mission gave you away."

Robin was silent, his dangling leg swinging from side to side.

"It's not that I don't like her." He said suddenly. "And it's not that I don't _want _to like her…" He trailed off.

"Then what is it?" Nightwing said gently.

"It's just that I'm worried about her… That something'll happen to her. I wouldn't be able to stand it if Angel got hurt." The way he said was so heartfelt, yet so miserable at the same time that Nightwing's heart squeezed in sympathy.

"But it's also that I'm afraid that I won't be able to do my job anymore… That I'll be so distracted and worried about her that I won't be able to concentrate. I don't want to let you or Batman down." Tim continued, his hands fingering the twisted stone.

Nightwing was surprised. That was what he was worried about? But then he remembered Batman tell him once, a few months after Tim became Robin,

"_He takes the job a lot more seriously then you did. Maybe not so much as I do, but it's still very important to him."_

"Tim," Nightwing said gently. "You don't need to prove that you're good enough to be the Batman. And anyway, Zatanna and I both know the risks of having a relationship, yet you don't see us not being able to do our job."

Robin's head snapped up to look at him. It was true. Everyone in the Cave knew that Zatanna and Nightwing really liked each other… Yet they were two of the best members when it came to the superhero stuff.

Realization started to dawn on Tim, and he realized with horror how much he had messed this whole thing up.

"Oh no." He said, panicked.

"Don't worry; she's just really mad at you." Nightwing said, a grin slipping onto his face.

Tim glared at Dick, who put his hands up in surrender.

"It's the truth!" The hero protested.

Robin stopped glaring at Nightwing and instead looked absently at the city.

"What if she doesn't forgive me?" He said anxiously, half to himself, half to Dick.

"I suggest going over to the Cave first thing tomorrow and begging her forgiveness." Nightwing pronounced.

Tim shot him a skeptical look.

Nightwing shrugged. "Hey, it's what I do when Z gets mad at me. Always works."

Robin scoffed.

"Ok fine, it takes her a day or two to forgive. But still!"

* * *

The next day, Angel got out of bed tired and grumpy. Thanks to her wing, no position was comfortable and she was still fuming at Robin's mood changes.

She looked into the mirror and groaned. She looked like a zombie bird. She struggled for a couple of minutes to get her hair into a plausible appearance. This took about a half-hour. She noticed how rumpled her feathers were and then tried to tame those. Since her wing was aching and they happened to be placed on her back, this took even longer than her hair.

Finally she deemed herself presentable and walked into what she imagined would be a very unpleasant day.

"Good morning Angel!" Was the first greeting she received as she stepped into the Cave kitchen.

Angel sniffed the air, greeted by the smell of waffles and pancakes.

"Something smells good!" She sighed, wandering in the direction of the smell.

M'gann chuckled. "Don't worry, they're almost done! Superboy and Zatanna are already at the table."

Angel gave her a dazzling smile, already put in a better mood thanks to the smell of breakfast and walked into the dining room.

* * *

About an hour later, all the Team members that lived in the Cave were bright and alert thanks to the delicious breakfast they had eaten.

But Angel started to feel a bit gloomier as she realized she had a whole day ahead of her. She could read and play piano, that was sure, but even then she'd be restless.

She had been walking in direction of the Zeta Tubes when she saw the familiar flash of light.

"_Recognized. Robin, B20. Nightwing, B01."_

Angel shrieked inwardly. Was someone deliberately trying to give her a bad day?

Immediately, she turned around and started walking swiftly in the opposite direction, determined to not see Robin for the entire day. She retreated to the music room, which she had started to think of as her small haven. No one ever went there besides her. But as she settled down onto the comfortable piano seat, a timid voice she had wanted to avoid for the day interrupted her thoughts.

"Angel?"

* * *

What will happen! *drumroll* And I totally love how Nightwing is being the therapist XD.


	17. Chapter 17 Confrontation

Confrontation going to happen! *evil grin*

STicker55, yea, I really enjoyed creating Angel. Her personality is really fun to write, and another part I really enjoying doing will be revealed soon!

100, Thanks so much!

Maros-Sad-Song, I read somewhere that Tim always took his job more seriously than any of the other Robins, mostly because he had to work so hard for it, and I wanted to play that into the story. I mean, who doesn't love a load of drama XD. And don't worry about the spamming, I forgive you! XD

* * *

Angel stiffened slightly, anger tensing her muscles.

"Oh, so you're speaking to me again? That must be so tough for you." She said calmly, though her feathers were getting ruffled already.

"Angel, I wanted to talk to you about that… You see, I was just worried that… Well…" Robin began again hesitantly.

"Well what? If you don't want to be my friend, then you just had to say so instead of acting like a total jerk without me knowing what I did!" Angel said spitefully, turning around so she was facing him.

"No, it's not like that-" Robin said, but Angel cut him off.

"Oh, really? Then please, enlighten me!" Angel spat.

"Well, I was but-" Robin began again, embarrassment and hurt causing him to stumble through what he had planned to say.

"No, you know what? I don't _care_! I don't know what your excuse is, but I don't want to hear it!" By now, Angel was off the chair, prodding Robin's chest with her finger, driving him back.

"But I wanted to apologize for it!" Robin protested.

For a moment, Angel hesitated and he hoped that she might relent. But in the next instant, the fire in her green eyes was back.

"Just leave me _alone_!" She hissed, before pushing past him and walking away.

"Angel? Angel!" Robin said desperately.

But she completely ignored him.

* * *

Angel was fuming, venomous thoughts flashing through her mind. How _dare_ he? After the way he had treated her?

But underneath all the anger, hurt was lingering. For that split second, when he had said he wanted to apologize and had been willing to explain, the hurt almost took over, telling her to forgive him so everything would be all right.

But Angel had been too furious too listen.

"I'm guessing Robin talked to you. How'd it go?" Nightwing said, spotting the winged girl.

"_Fine_!" She spat. A fierce wind was blowing around her as she walked away from the hero, and she dimly realized it was probably anger or other strong emotions that triggered her 'power'.

She stalked to her room, and if the door hadn't been automatic, she would have slammed it.

She threw herself onto her bed, wishing that she had some angry music to listen to. She really needed to vent on something.

Her glare drifted to the desk, which was occupied by books and several sheets of paper. She realized that she hadn't actually gotten around to writing something since she had come to Mt. Justice.

So she stood up, walked over to the desk, picked up a pen, and began to write.

* * *

Several hours later, Angel had fallen asleep on her desk, her head lying on her arms. The pen was still loosely held in her hand.

She was sleeping so deeply that she didn't notice it when someone knocked on the door, or even when it slid open to reveal M'gann.

Worried when Angel hadn't shown up for dinner, Miss M had gone to her room to check on the girl. But she was soundly asleep.

Smiling softly, M'gann used her telekinesis to gently lift Angel from her desk and lye her on the bed. She left quietly, the soft click of the door sliding closed being the only noise she made.

"Where's Angel?" Zatanna queried as M'gann flew into the dining room.

"Sleeping," She replied. "I think that she had a tiring day."

"She deserved a rest," Superboy said, feeding scraps of meat to Wolf while he did so. "After having her wing busted up and being left alone inside the Cave for most of the day…"

Zatanna nodded agreement.

"Well, I'm off." Nightwing said, appearing from one of the hallways.

The magician stood and gave him a kiss goodnight while M'gann, Beast Boy and Superboy bade him good night.

"Keep an eye on Angel, will you?"

Superboy raised an eyebrow, but nodded assent.

"See you guys tomorrow, then." And with that Nightwing walked towards the Zeta Tubes, his forehead creased into a thoughtful expression.

Zatanna stared after him. "I wonder why he wanted us to check on Angel…"

Superboy shrugged, silent as ever.

"Well… I could sense a little distress coming from Angel when I checked on her earlier." M'gann offered.

Superboy shrugged again, while Zatanna nodded.

"Can we eat now?" BB complained.

* * *

For the next four days, Angel completely ignored Robin. If he was in the same room, she would go play piano or sulk in her room. If she was having a conversation with somebody and he walked over, she would quickly invent an excuse and slip away. She was doing everything she could to not see the Boy Wonder.

And she was miserable. Guilt was constantly clawing at her, and she partially wished that things could go back to the way they were.

But nothing really happened.

Soon, Angel started to spend more and more time in her room, either hunched over paper and scribbling maniacally or reading. Anything to distract her was welcome.

On the fifth day, however, Shayera came to visit her protégé.

"I think you're ready to get back into costume again." She said confidently.

Relief seeped through Angel and she stood up quickly.

"Can we go now?" She practically begged.

Shayera raised an eyebrow. "Sure kid. I'll be waiting by the bay doors for you, alright?"

But Angel was already nodding vigorously and walking towards the closet that held her costume.

Shayera left her so that she could get dressed.

* * *

A few minutes later, Angel hopped into the main Cave, now the Bluejay and struggling to tie up the lace at the top of her boot.

"Wait a second," She said, trying to keep her balance. "There!" She said in relief.

Shayera chuckled. "You seem eager."

Bluejay rolled her eyes. "I haven't been out of this cave in days! I need to see some sunlight!"

"Well, if you're so eager, you're gonna have to keep up with me!" Shayera chuckled just as the bay doors opened.

"Hey!" Bluejay yelped, trying to get some air. "No fair!"

Her wing was still a little stiff, but she got off the ground alright, and was soon soaring after Shayera.

"I promised we could do some aerial maneuvers," Her mentor said. "But we'll need to go higher."

Bluejay nodded, her eyes sparkling behind her mask. She beat her wings, effortlessly rising higher and higher about the blue ocean.

Hawkwoman followed her, hovering a bit at an acceptable height.

"I want to start with something simple," She said, eyes narrowing on the simple part to let her protégé know she was serious. "I just want you to be able to pull out of a steep dive. It's an invaluable trick when you're being chased by an enemy. They'll be so intent on pursuing you that they probably won't notice how close you are to the ground and crash when you pull up."

As means of an example, Shayera clipped her wings and hurtled downwards, gaining speed with each heartbeat.

At the last possible second, she pulled out of her dive, using her momentum to soar up to where Bluejay was.

The girl's eyes were wide open with shock.

"That's amazing!" She burst out.

"I don't want you going as far as I did," Shayera said. "You're still a little too inexperienced."

Bluejay nodded understanding and angled her body downwards. She started out slowly at first, but as she held her wings tighter to her body as Shayera had done, she went faster and faster until her hair was whipping around her face.

She could see the ocean, rushing up to meet her, but she wasn't afraid. The speed was too addicting.

She let out an exhilarated whoop, excitement coursing through her.

But the excitement died down a little as she realized how fast she was coming to the surface of the dark water.

She tried to come out of her steep dive, the sudden movement jerking her wings a bit, but it didn't really matter.

With a big splash, Bluejay dove straight into the water.

Shayera saw the whole thing and was soon hurtling downwards. She slowed as she reached the surface of the water.

"Angel?" She said anxiously.

There was a ripple and Bluejay came up, gasping for breath.

"I told you to pull up sooner!" Shayera said crossly, though she was mostly relieved.

But Bluejay seemed perfectly fine.

"Can we do it again?" She said.

* * *

After a few hours of soaring about and doing loop-de-loops, Shayera finally told Bluejay that it was time to retire to the Cave.

She had complained a bit at first, pointing out that it was only mid-afternoon, but Shayera said that after so long exercising, she deserved a rest.

Now, they were back in the Cave, laughing about when Bluejay had fallen into the ocean on her first dive of the day.

M'gann came out to greet them.

"You seem to have had a good time." She remarked.

"It was absolutely amazing!" Bluejay said, face flushed with excitement. "I learned all about aerial maneuvers, and wind patterns, and it's best to fly high up because that's where the warm air is…"

She kept on blabbing about wingspans and such until Shayera reminded her that she would have to leave soon.

Angel seemed a bit disappointed, but hugged her mentor goodbye.

"You'll be back tomorrow?" She checked.

Shayera smiled. "You bet, kid."

* * *

D'aw, Shayera and Angel are bonding!


	18. Chapter 18 First Impressions

Chapter 18 is here! And just to make it clear, it's only been a week since the last chapter ended.

tdyn0, I tried to keep it as close to the TV series as much as possible, even though I did introduce an OC as a main character. And I love the Chalant couple!

RHatch89, thankies!

* * *

Angel was tapping her fingers in an irregular rhythm as she tried to figure out math problems. Since it wouldn't be safe for her to re enter society as Angel Devine again, Hawkwoman had taken to given her a bunch of work for the day, which she would have to complete.

There were good days, and bad days. Good days consisted of English, French, Spanish, history and geography lessons. Bad days included math, science… Basically, everything else.

And so, Angel was stuck doing math problems inside the Cave when she could have been training or flying.

She let out an irritated sigh as her non-existent concentration made her unable to wrap her head around the working-out needed for the problem, and leaned forward until her head was resting on the cool, granite table.

Everyone else was at school, leaving her to be stuck for most of the day by herself, or Red if he bothered to come out of his hidey hole up top.

So it came as a surprise to her when the robotic voice started to echo throughout the halls.

"_Recognized, Red Arrow. BO6._"

Angel lifted her head up in confusion. Who on earth was Red Arrow?

She cast a glance at her unfinished work. Shayera would kill her… But maybe just this once…

Deciding that she couldn't be blamed for being curious, Angel got off her chair and started to walk towards the main chamber of the Cave.

Normally, she would have preferred to fly everywhere, but the limited ceiling and wing-room caused her to scrape herself up if she tried.

She suddenly skidded to a halt as she realized that she wasn't wearing her mask. However, she had already gotten into her Bluejay suit for when Shayera would come for their now daily flying lessons, so all she had to do was pluck the feathered mask from her belt, where it hung when she wasn't using it.

Soon, it was fixed on her face, and Angel continued to the main cave.

"Nightwing? KF? Kaldur?" A voice called out.

Angel turned the last corner and spotted a tall man. He seemed rather young, not even in his twenties, with reddish brown hair and a mask similar to Nightwing and Robin's. A quiver and bow was slung across his back.

She coughed to make herself noticed, quite certain that she risked an arrow in the chest if she did otherwise.

The man, Red Arrow, whirled in her direction. In a heartbeat, the bow was in his hands, strung, and pointed at her.

Bluejay's hand immediately rested on one of her curved daggers, her body tense.

Right now, she half-wished that she had managed to find some way to use her powers; a good strong breeze would definitely blow away an arrow should it come near her.

"Who are you?" The stranger growled, his gaze never wavering from hers.

"I could ask you the same question," Angel replied, her temper flaring slightly at his insolent tone.

The man didn't relax.

"You first." He said, the arrow still pointed at her.

"Do not fire," A robotic voice said from above.

Bluejay didn't glance upwards, slightly afraid that if she did, the strange wouldn't hesitate to release the bow and send the arrow plunging into her.

Red Arrow, she presumed, was still tense, though his expression was more wary than angry.

"Who is this, Red?" He demanded, only relaxing his bow to gesture at her.

"_This_ has a name," Bluejay replied snippily.

"Do not goad him." Red Tornado warned.

Bluejay glared at him, her wings bushing out as her feathers got ruffled.

"He's the one who had an arrow pointed at me!" She said, her voice high with disbelief.

"That is true." Tornado allowed. He turned towards Red Arrow once again. "This is Hawkwoman's new protégé, Bluejay."

"Enchanté." The girl in question said haughtily.

Red Arrow stared at her, half disbelieving, half skeptical.

"Why would Shayera get a protégé?" He asked the android.

Bluejay flinched inwardly. Everything had gone by so quickly, but the part on how she had joined the Team was still a touchy subject.

"Bluejay was…" For once, Tornado seemed at a loss for words, unable to find a kind way to tell Arrow how Angel had become a member.

Bluejay stepped forward, wings quivering. It was only then that Red Arrow seemed to notice her extra limbs, and she could swear she could see his eyes widen in shock behind the domino mask.

She stretched her wings out wide.

"You see this? Three weeks ago, I didn't have them. I was just a normal girl, that had come home from school, and kissed her parents goodnight," Her voice trembled, but she carried on. "I was unaware of it at the time, but the League of Shadows was after me. The Team had been watching me, making sure I was safe, but Cheshire took them down."

Red Arrow seemed to stiffen a bit at the assassin's name, but Angel continued.

"S-she grabbed me, and set the house alight, leaving my family in there too burn. They took me to Cadmus and _experimented_ on me." She spat the last part out, inwardly shaking with revulsion. "The Team managed to rescue me, but they had already managed to do their work. Since then, Shayera took me in as her protégé and I live here."

Red Arrow raised an eyebrow. "You said she left your family for dead… Didn't they get out?"

Bluejay paled, and even Tornado looked uncomfortable.

"Unfortunately, Bluejay's family could not escape, Roy."

Now it was Roy's turn to pale, he turned back to Bluejay. "I didn't mean-"

"Save it." Bluejay whispered, her voice rough.

She walked past the archer, only turning back once.

"If the Team comes back, tell them I'm out flying."

Red Tornado nodded once, understanding that Angel wanted to be left alone.

"I will tell them." Angel smiled briefly before racing to the bay doors.

* * *

The moment Angel had left the safety of the Cave, she had allowed a few tears to roll down her face. But that was it. She was still hurting inside; nothing could change that. But it wouldn't be wise to go back to the Cave with red and puffy eyes.

She didn't want the Team to be all over her; she just wanted to be alone.

As she blinked the tears out of her eyes, she spotted a small, tiny island that she had never been to before right next to Mt. Justice. She veered her course there, fervently hoping that no one would find her.

A couple of minutes later, she landed lightly in the middle of dense foliage, the air coming from her wings temporarily flattening the small amount of trees the rock had to offer.

After peering around bushes and tall grass for a few minutes, Angel finally found her way to a tiny clearing, that was occupied by a large rock, some grass, and a big tree that hung over both. She gingerly climbed onto the rock.

It was a smooth, and cool to the touch. Relaxing, she leaned back, content to let her emotions calm themselves by staying still for a while, the calm atmosphere sucking out all of her negative energy.

Angel closed her eyes, the sun shining on her. She could hear the bushes rustling in the wind, the waves lapping against the small, sandy beach and roaring farther out into the ocean, and even the chirping of a stray bird.

Her senses were sharpened, heightened to an extent she didn't know existed. She guessed that it was because she never tried.

Her worries seemed so far away now, even if the pain was still there, close to her heart. But she felt as if she had doused several painkillers. It was alright. Everything was alright.

The smells, the sounds, everything faded into a background. Content, Angel slipped into a comfortable, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Angel's eyes blinked open, and she looked about, disoriented. She remembered everything, but last she had checked, the sun had been high in the sky. Now, purple shadows were falling over the clearing.

Angel sat bolt upright, wincing at the stiffness in her muscles.

"(Insert swearword of choice here)!"

Without a second thought, Angel launched herself into the air, wings beating. The air was, thankfully, working in her favor and speeded her on the short distance to the Cave. But for once, she didn't feel any excitement being up so high, she was so freaked out about if the others were looking for her.

Angel landed kind of roughly, but recovered quickly. Composing herself, she walked into the Cave, inwardly tensing as she readied herself for someone to jump out of nowhere and start screaming at her.

But there was no one there. Well, that was a half-lie. There was no one there that _shouted_ at her.

Nightwing, Aqualad, M'gann, Red Arrow and Kid Flash were talking together, though Angel couldn't hear what they were saying.

All five simultaneously looked up at her.

"Great, you're here Angel," Nightwing said, surprising her. "We need to talk to you."

Uh oh. Angel's stomach dropped. So they were going to shout at her. Her gaze flickered to Red Arrow. But he didn't look angry, or even wary. Just… Neutral.

Angel meekly walked over to the waiting group.

"We have a lead on why the Shadows wanted you, although Roy wasn't aware of who they were talking about at the time," Nightwing explained once she had joined the group.

Shock coursed through Angel.

"What happened?" She said, her eyes widening.

"Red Arrow here went to spy on the Shadows, since they were in league with the Light, a group of super villains. They talked about what Roy had gone there for at first, but the subject quickly changed to you. Apparently, you're a descendant of a meta-human called Aeolus.

Angel's forehead creased in confusion. "I thought Aeolus was a Greek god?"

Kid Flash nodded his head. "To the Greeks, he was. His most famous attributes was being able to control winds. And all of his children had wings."

Angel started. "But I didn't _have_ wings at first." She reminded.

"His bloodline started hundreds of years ago. We think that his blood became so diluted, thanks to his descendants marrying normal humans, causing most to be born without his powers. Apparently, you were his most direct descendant, which is why they chose you to experiment on, and eventually control." Nightwing continued.

Angel shuddered. "That must be why they injected me with… Whatever it was. They said it contained the 'original's DNA."

Nightwing nodded. "So, technically, you're a descendant of a God." He said, a wry smile touching his mouth.

Roy snorted. "I wonder what Diana will think of that!"

* * *

Yes! Her ancestry has been EXPLAINED! Aeolus was always one of my favorite of the Greek gods, and it was his winged children that inspired me to create Angel. So there you have it. More details will come in the following chapters!


	19. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Ok, so I didn't post a chapter today because I didn't have the time. *fiddles with thumbs* And it'll probably be this way every Wednesday until the summer holidays… So I'm making a compromise. One chapter every day besides Wednesday, so I'll have a day of rest. Not that I want to of course, but because of the limited time I get on those dratted days, I write a really short chapter with horrible writing. You guys might not care, but I do XD. So yes, Wednesday is the new Sunday for me!

See you guys later!


	20. Chapter 20 Apology

I'm BAAACK! Next chapter below! Oh, and no, I'm not gonna bother to change the chapter numbers because I'm just too lazy XD. So pretend that chapter 20 is chapter 19, etc.

* * *

Sticker55, I always like my characters a little quiet place for themselves ^^.

KitsuNova, Thanks for the support XD. And yea, I always love writing Tim parts… He and Dick are my two favorite Robs!

Speaking of which… There was no Robin in the last chapter! *gasp of horror*

Angel was fiddling with her pencil, staring at the blank sheet before her. Normally, after what she had found out, she would have been bursting to write something, but for some reason, she just couldn't think of anything. No short stories, no poems… Not even any ideas for any novels that would never be finished.

After staring at the white paper before her for about a half hour, she gave up, and left her room to go find something to do.

Naturally, since it had only been a couple of hours since Nightwing and the others had revealed that she was a descendant of a member of Greek mythology, she was still a little shocked.

After all, who says, "Oh, I'm the descendant of Aeolus, the Greek god of the wind!"

Angel snorted to herself. It sounded ridiculous just in her mind.

After a few minutes of walking around, Angel remembered why she had barely come out the past few days at all. Sure talking to her team mates was fine, but if Robin came in…

Angel winced, her wings quivering at the thought.

She felt bad about shouting at him, but was too nervous and scared to go and apologize. And anyway, how would she do it?

_Oh, yea, sorry about shouting at you last week, it's just that my whole world's turned upside down since I got kidnapped, experimented on, got rescued by a bunch of superheroes, discovered that my family is dead and found out I had giant wings, so I got emotionally traumatized and decided to take it out on you. Especially since you were a jerk. Friends?_

To her, it sounded even more ridiculous than the last one, even though any other person may have found it extremely plausible.

But she doubted it.

Idly, she wondered where Superboy, Miss Martian, Zatanna and Beast Boy were. Since she had arrived three weeks ago, she had really gotten to know her housemates. They definitely made up a good conversation, what with all the missions they had gone on.

By now, Angel had wandered past the main Cave, most of the resident rooms, the gym and was now entering the kitchen/living room.

She spotted M'gann chopping carrots, and Zatanna stirring some delicious looking soup while Superboy and BB fought over the remote control.

She decided that the girls were the best course of action and headed towards them.

"Need any help?" She queried.

M'gann looked up, startled. "Oh, sure Angel! Do you think you could prepare the salad?"

She nodded her head towards another counter that was occupied by a smooth bowl filled with salad. Beside was a chopping board, a few tomatoes, a bottle of Caesar dressing and a small baggy of croutons.

Angel walked towards it and started to chop up the tomatoes.

After a couple of minutes of silence only broken by the arguing the two boys, M'gann asked slowly, "So, do you think the League is going to let you go on missions soon?"

Angel stopped her chopping for a second to think.

After a few moments, she said, "I think so. Hawkwoman says I'm in tip-top shape and now the only thing I need is a mission to exercise myself. But she'll probably have to convince some of the other League members."

Zatanna nodded in sympathy.

"Maybe they'll wait until you can start to control and understand your powers?" She suggested.

Angel sighed heavily. "That's the thing. The only times I've ever managed to use it in the smallest way was when I was nervous or angry. And as much as it is frustrating being stuck inside most of the day, I can't manage to do it."

"It's possible that you just need to find another trigger." M'gann said thoughtfully.

"Yea, maybe." Angel said, returning to her tomatoes.

* * *

Soon after, dinner was ready and the two boys abandoned their argument, both admitting reluctantly that thanks to that, they hadn't been able to watch any TV.

"Yea, well, static isn't actual TV you know!" Gar complained.

"How would you know? I can hear higher frequencies than you can AND see better. And trust me, static is really interesting!" Connor argued.

M'gann sighed while Zatanna rolled her eyes.

Angel raised an eyebrow. "You watch static?" She said.

Connor shrugged and nodded.

The rest of dinner was rather good, the silence often interrupted with bits of conversation and laughter.

Angel was just as happy as the rest, but she still felt a twinge of regret. She used to be this way with her family.

_No, _She told herself firmly. _This is my new family._

M'gann seemed to hear her and smiled at Angel. The winged girl grinned back, for once since she first came to Mount Justice feeling as if she belonged.

* * *

That night, Angel's dreams were more peaceful than usual, a content haze drifting over her mind.

Despite this, she woke up at around midnight, and couldn't get back to sleep.

Slightly restless, and not in the least bit tired, Angel got out of bed and quietly padded through the hallways to the main cave.

"Red, could you please open the bay doors?" She whispered out loud.

The android seemed to hear her, and the large doors, easily comparable to a barn's opened up without a creak.

Moonlight flooded the cave and Angel realized how long it had been since she had seen the stars.

She stepped forward hesitantly, but unlike how it had been with her family, no one got up and hiss at her to go back to bed.

She walked forward a bit more, until she was bathed in the bright silver light coming from the moon.

Blinking she stared out at the bay, taking in the sight. The ocean was almost perfectly still, an unbroken, dark blue expanse of water. Decorating its surface was the reflection of millions of stars, mirroring the ones above in the sky. They were like tiny gems, shimmering and glittering on perfect blue velvet.

Her gaze wandering, Angel took in the constellations, like Orion and Pegasus, instantly recognizing them and the stories that accompanied their place in the sky.

Ironically, she realized most of the constellations were based on Greek legends.

She breathed in the slightly salty air, actually comforted like the thought. Everything seemed absolutely perfect.

Angel was tempted to go out flying. After all, when would she get a chance like this to fly on such an amazing night?

"_Recognized, Robin. B020."_ The robotic voice called out, shocking Angel.

What was he doing here at this hour?

Angel opened her wings, prepared to escape before the Boy Wonder spotted her, but she was too late.

"Angel?" He asked in disbelief, stepping towards her.

Angel sincerely hoped that the moonlight was covering the blush on her face.

"Hi…" She murmured, unsure what else to say.

It was only at this point that Robin also remembered their fight and hesitated.

"So… What are you doing up this late?" He said, breaking the awkward silence in between them.

Angel shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. What about you? Don't you live in Gotham City?"

Robin smiled sheepishly, something she hadn't seen in a while, and her heart ached as she remembered their instant, easy friendship.

"Sometimes I come here to see the view. Breathtaking, isn't it?"

Angel nodded silently, not trusting herself to speak.

There were a couple more moments of silence while Angel struggled to gather up enough courage to apologize, and Robin just stood there, an uncomfortable expression on his face.

After a minute or two, Angel managed to say something.

"Look, Robin…" She stammered.

He looked at her, his expression slightly curious, unsure and… Hopeful?

"I-I wanted to… Apologize for…" She trailed off, silently cursing herself.

She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. ", ." She babbled in one, sudden breath.

She wondered if she had gone too fast for him to understand her, but he seemed to get it.

"You shouldn't be the one to apologize!" He protested quickly. "I was the one who acted like a jerk. I deserved it." He finished, looking down at his feet.

A relieved smile spread across Angel's face, and before she knew it, she was speaking normally again.

"Since we're both sorry, how about we both apologize?" She suggested.

Robin looked up, startled. He had apparently been expecting a lecture. But the confusion soon turned into a breathless laugh of relief and he responded, "That seems like an excellent idea."

Still smiling, Angel said, "I'm sorry for shouting at you. You didn't deserve it."

Robin grinned back. "And I'm sorry for acting like a cold-hearted jerk."

The both chuckled and glanced at each other.

Angel sighed.

"I was really stupid." She confessed, walking towards Robin.

He laughed. "That makes two of us."

Angel grinned, before walking over to the edge of the water and sitting down.

Patting the ground beside her, she said, "Care to join me?"

Robin smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

He sat down beside her, and for the remainder of the night, they both just sat there, not quite touching, but comfortable all the same.

* * *

Aaaaw! So yes, I guess you guys see what's coming!


	21. Chapter 21 Control

Another mission! *Does excited dance*

Zak Saturday, well, I guess that is the next step, isn't it? *cheeky grin*

Airmage, I personally love writing how they act around each other, it's just too much fun!

Maros-sad-song, yea, well Angel goes on her second mission in this chapter :D.

Tdyn0, thanks!

Obiwan1022, thankies!

Sarcasm and Sparkles, thanks for the support!

* * *

Angel yawned, her eyes only blinking open sleepily after the action was done. She sat up, realizing she was in her bed.

Confusion filled her, as she clearly remembered staying up with Robin to look at the stars. She realized that she must have fallen asleep, and that the Boy Wonder had carried her to her room.

A blush creeped up her neck as she remembered the charismatic hero. She was glad they had made up.

She got out of bed and stretched, wings and all until her muscles were trembling with the effort. Only then did she relax, her wings automatically folding against her back, so much like a bird's. Yet, it wasn't actually something that made her more birdlike that changed her.

Wonder still filled her at the fact that she was the descendant of a god; well, meta-human.

She dressed quickly, realizing that she had no idea what time it was.

There was no clock in the room, or windows so she couldn't get a rough idea by looking at the sun.

"Just hope I'm not late." She muttered to herself as she tugged on a pair of comfy sneakers.

* * *

Only when Angel entered the kitchen that she realized it was probably noon. A note was stuck to one of the counters, and she hastened to read it.

_Angel,_

_The others and I had to go to school, so I'm leaving this note to tell you that Shayera asked us to say that you don't need to do any school work today, and just focus on flying and practicing battle moves. Red's up in his hidey hole if you need anything else. If you're hungry, there are some waffles in the microwave._

_See you soon, M'gann. _

Angel put the note and walked over to the designated microwave, her stomach growling with hunger.

After a few minutes of warming the waffles up, Angel quickly devoured them.

She washed the plate, then went to go get dressed in her Bluejay suit.

* * *

Angel spent the better part of the day doing what Shayera had advised; training.

She practiced throwing her knives, aerial maneuvers, hand-to-hand combat moves and holding weights while flying.

The latter proved the most difficult; after only five minutes of straining to get herself off the ground while lugging a duffel bag filled with heavy things, most notably being weights, she collapsed, panting, and gave herself another five to recover.

This process was repeated, over and over, until Angel managed to lift the bag about a foot above the ground. Unable to go any further for the day, she wearily landed on the cool rock that made up the floor of the Cave.

It was about four o'clock when she was finished, and started to wander around, from time to time stopping to play a piece on the piano, or read a little bit more of her book.

But she felt utterly useless. Everyone else was at school or off on a mission… Both seemed better than being stuck in a cave all day.

She had circled back to the main cave once again when Red Tornado showed up.

"Do you require assistance, or something to distract you?" He asked, his monotone voice the same as ever.

Angel guessed that he knew how bored she was and answered honestly. "Anything would be great right now. Even mathematics."

The android nodded his head in a swift, decisive movement. "I was quite certain that this was the case. I do have something in mind for you; assistance for your wind powers."

Angel stared in confusion, until she realized that Red's powers were similar to hers. She nodded slowly.

"Yea, that does need working on."

"Very well, it is agreed. Follow me." Red Tornado walked towards the bay doors and Angel scurried after him.

"Uh, Red, wouldn't it be best to do this inside the Cave?" She queried.

"If you practice out in the open, in the air, then it will be quite easier, I assure you. You will literally be in your element." The android responded, summoning a mini-tornado to carry him out onto the bay.

Reluctantly, Angel followed, her feathers caressed by the wind. She easily glided after the android, now able to use the winds to her advantage.

"We can stop here." Red directed, turning around to face her.

Angel complied, beating her wings every once in a while to keep herself aloft.

"Now, I manage to manipulate my powers because I think of the wind in the scientific way, as my mind always uses logic. I suggest that you try to find the trigger that managed to let you access your powers before." The android instructed.

Angel snorted. "Yea, I'm pretty sure it's anger Red."

The robot didn't seem to sense the sarcasm, and nodded. "We shall start there. Focus on the feelings of anger, of aggravation, and focus it into moving the air around you."

Angel nodded. That didn't seem too hard. Thinking hard, she lifted her two hands and started to concentrate. She thought about all the things Cheshire had said on that one mission.

Her teeth gritted as the anger started to boil up inside her, straining to be released. And Angel let it. She didn't even try, but before she knew it, hot air was blasting out of her hands like a giant hairdryer. She let out a little squeak of shock.

She struggled to keep the flow going, but her amazement caused the flow lessened, and eventually stopped. She stared at where it had been headed dejectedly.

"That was well done. And do not worry. Eventually, you will be able to control your powers without need of a trigger." He said.

Angel brightened up considerably. "Then I'd better get started!"

* * *

After another hour, Bluejay finally followed Red into the Cave, success making her glow with excitement and happiness. She had just managed to do a very small stream without getting mad, but Tornado's aggravating personality certainly helped.

She landed lightly on the stone floor, her wings already partially folded. She spotted Nightwing and Robin, making her grin grow even wider.

"Hey!" She said cheerfully, jogging towards them, Red Tornado immediately flying up to the entrance of his apartment.

"Hey Angel." Nightwing greeted her as he looked up from the main computer.

Robin didn't say anything, but smiled at her instead. She grinned back.

"So, where've you been?" Nightwing asked, turning towards her.

"Tornado was helping me with the wind thing," She explained. "Turns out that strong emotions trigger it, but it works best with anger."

"Well, that's great, because Batman just called me to assign a mission."

* * *

"He wants us four to go to New York. Shadow activity has been reported in the area, along with a new super villain by the name of Rogue." As the Nightwing explained to Robin, Bluejay and Bumblebee about the mission, he brought up a picture of a young man.

His face was hidden by a blood red cowl, covering his eyes, nose, chin and mouth. He was dressed in dark clothes, comprising of combat boots, a leather jacket and pants made out of an unidentified material. A long rapier was held in a sheath on his belt. You could just see a glint of blue, probably from his eyes, in the meshing that covered the place where the eyes would be.

"He's been a threat to NY's alleys, targeting people by the random and bringing them down using that sword of his, although people have reported seeing it transform into other objects, including a snake, a whip and a sai." Nightwing pointed to the rapier Angel had noticed.

She frowned, her forehead creasing. Something about the man was familiar, though she wasn't sure what. Maybe it was the build…

"Anyway, Batman wants us to bring him to justice, while investigated the Shadow sightings at the same time." Nightwing said, interrupting Angel out of her musing.

The small shred of recognition vanished.

"Well, that sounds like fun." Bumblebee said, her hand on her hip.

But the remaining three were quiet, Angel struggling to regain the familiar sensation of before.

"Yea…" She murmured. "Maybe…"

* * *

Goodness, who is this mysterious man? I'll give you guys a hint; his real name was been mentioned before in the fan fiction ;D. And ignore the bad writing in this chapter... I dunno, I just didn't write well today XD. And yes, I KNOW it's short DX.


	22. Chapter 22 Reveal

tdyn, he was a bit based on the RH, but this guy doesn't use guns, since he has a magical rapier/staff :P. And he has been involved with Angel's past, so…

The February Rose, that's really great to hear that! And it's true, a pick me up for me is always something YJ related XD.

* * *

"So when was this Rogue last spotted?" Bumblebee queried as she swiveled her chair around to face Nightwing.

"Madison Avenue," The hero replied shortly, concentrating on flying the bioship.

Bluejay raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said that he only focused on the small alleys?"

Nightwing nodded. "I did, and he does. But someone spotted him on Madison Avenue."

Bumblebee sighed and leaned back. "Once we finish up there, can we stop there? Madison Avenue equals lots of hot stores."

Bluejay grinned. "Yeah, I wonder what Gap will think when the amazing Bumblebee shows up in their store!"

Bumblebee half scowled at her. "I bet you wanna go too!"

"True," Bluejay admitted. "But what girl doesn't?"

"Good point." Bumblebee conceded.

"Well, we're not going to be shopping, so you guys can pack up that conversation." Nightwing chuckled.

Both girls turned towards him with a pleading expression.

"Please?" Bumblebee whined.

Robin shook his head in mock horror. "I told you we should have let them!" He teased.

Bluejay smiled at him.

Bumblebee and Nightwing both watched the two with half interested, half amused expressions.

"We're almost there, Nightwing." Robin reported, breaking the silence.

He nodded. "Bluejay, you and Bumblebee can both fly, so you're heading out first."

The two girls grinned at each other.

"No hay problema, Noche del ala. (No problem, Nightwing.)" Bumblebee said cheerfully.

In a few moments, a hatch opened up in the floor of the bioship and both girls vanished, having dropped into the light-filled night of New York City.

* * *

"So I'm guessing that Robin stopped being a jerk?" Bumblebee said, a cheeky smile on her face.

Bluejay responded easily. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking that there is some serious chemistry going on between you two!" The black and yellow hero chortled.

Bluejay blushed. "Shut up!"

Bumblebee cackled gleefully.

"I'm serious!"

"So am I, darling." Bluejay's companion said.

Angel shot her a look, but Bumblebee was distracted.

"Hey, do you think that's him?" She asked.

Bluejay followed her gaze and spotted what she was looking at.

A figure, barely more than a shadow, was striding confidently, threateningly towards a couple huddled against each other in an alley.

Bluejay frowned.

"Let's go check it out," She told Bumblebee before diving downwards.

The hero followed without a moment's hesitation.

They both landed lightly on a roof, and crept forward until they could peer down into the dark alleyway below.

"Can you see anything?" Angel hissed, but Bumblebee was already on it.

"It's not our guy," She reported after a moment. "He isn't hiding his face behind a mask, and he's holding a penknife. We should still take him out though."

Bluejay smiled grimly. "Let's."

Silently, she opened her wings and glided to the safe shadows of a large garbage can. She stood, walking forwards until she was right behind the assailant.

The man had only time to register the couple's eyes widen in shock before he was knocked out cold.

Bluejay stepped over the body in disdain.

"Never really did like the criminals in NY," She said airily, as if they were at a social event. "Too dirty and coarse."

"Hey, you didn't leave me any!" Bumblebee complained, alighting next to the winged girl.

"I suggest that you stay out of alleys next time you're out at night." Bluejay informed the couple, ignoring the arrival of her partner.

The man nodded, eyes still wide, and gently tugged his companion after him as he walked back to the safety of Madison's lights.

"Did you find anything?" Nightwing's voice said in both their earpieces.

"Nope, except a thug." Bumblebee reported. "Bluejay took him down easy."

"Keep looking." Came the short reply before the line was cut off.

Bumblebee rolled her eyes. "He's such a stiff. Let's go."

* * *

Two hours later, neither team had found Rogue.

"Where can this guy be hiding?" Bumblebee exclaimed, aggravated as Nightwing told them once again they had found no trace of the criminal or the League of Shadows.

Bluejay shrugged.

"I mean, he's got to be around here somewhere!" Bumblebee continued to rant.

Angel only nodded absently, eyes narrowing as she looked at yet another alley.

"After all, this-"

"Shhh!" Bluejay hissed, her hand clamped over the hero's mouth.

She jerked her head towards the alley. Bumblebee's eyes widened as she saw what Angel had been staring at.

There was someone there. And he had a red mask on.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Nightwing asked, leaping from building to building, Robin on his heels.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Even through an earpiece, Bluejay's tone was easily identified as exasperated.

"Alright then. Send me your coordinates, and we'll meet you there. Do not take him on your own!" Nightwing stressed.

"Fine."

His hand dropping from the earpiece, Nightwing turned to look at Robin. The youngster nodded, having heard the conversation through his own earpiece.

"Do you really think they can't handle themselves on their own?" Robin queried.

Nightwing sighed. "No. But it never hurts to be careful."

"True that." Tim replied.

* * *

"Are we really gonna wait around for the guys to show up?" Bumblebee asked skeptically.

Bluejay snorted. "No chance."

"Then let's get going!" And with that, the superhero flew over the edge, obviously certain that Bluejay was going to follow her. And with a sigh of annoyance, Angel complied.

"Hey! Yeah, you!" Bumblebee was already confronting Rogue by the time Bluejay landed lightly behind him.

Rogue growled, apparently unaware that another person was behind him.

"What do you want?"

"Well, there are plenty of things that I want," Bumblebee said, faking thoughtfulness. "Cool shoes, loads of make-up and beating you up!"

Before the sentence was finished, Bumblebee was already hurtling towards Rogue, hands raised to deliver her very painful stings.

But even though she was fast, Rogue was apparently faster. He whipped something out of his pocket, to quickly for Bluejay to identify what it was.

In the next second, Bumblebee cried out in pain, crumpling to the ground, the stings she had already fired missing completely.

"Big mistake."

Even though Bluejay's hands were already in motion, Rogue whipped around and caught her wrist, wrenching them painfully.

Bluejay gritted her teeth, and did what every girl did when assaulted by a guy; kneed him in that oh-so-very-painful-place.

"Damn!" Rogue swore, his hands relaxing as he crumpled slightly.

It was all the time Bluejay and Bumblebee needed.

Whipping her daggers out, Bluejay prepared to knock him hard on the head with the hilts, while Bumblebee turned smaller, already throwing stings.

But the moment that the hilt came into contact with the supposedly light covering over Rogue's head, Angel staggered back, pain ricocheting through her arms.

Apparently, the part covering his head was made of metal.

As Bluejay recovered, Bumblebee launched her attack. Several of the stings hit Rogue in the back, causing the villain to arch in pain.

Her four wings a blur, Bumblebee started throwing quick, painful punches.

But Rogue turned around, his hand clenched around a baseball bat that had appeared out of nowhere.

He smashed it onto her head, and even though it was covered by a helmet, Bumblebee still collapsed, the apparent momentum he had gotten being strong enough to still give her a hard blow.

Bluejay gritted her teeth. This guy was getting on her nerves.

She launched herself at him, abandoning her daggers to hit him with wind and throw him sky high.

And she very nearly succeeded. But she was a second to late, as Rogue had already turned around. The bat changed into a whip and he flicked it.

The movement was so small, that Angel was sure he had missed. But she felt something wrap around her wing and with a gasp of shock, she tumbled onto the dirty cement.

Before she could recover from the wind being knocked out of her body, Rogue was upon her. She struggled violently, but he was much, much stronger.

He grabbed her wrists so she wouldn't be able to defend herself and pinned them against the ground, his foot holding down her legs.

"Who sent you?" He snarled, grinding his foot against one of her legs.

Bluejay let out a cry of pain, and Rogue stopped.

His body stiffened, and the blue eyes behind the protective meshing widened.

"Angel?" He gasped.

Shock rippled through her body. How did this guy know her name? But she tried to hide it.

"Normally, you get to know a girl first before… Giving her a pet name!" She ground out, her teeth gritted in pain.

But Rogue ignored the jibe. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Angel stiffened. The voice was familiar, when not twisted with rage.

"Who the hell are you?" She snapped, wriggling her body to get free.

"You don't remember?" Rogue sounded… Hurt.

"What am I supposed to remember? _I don't know you!_" She snarled.

Now his voice was contemptuous, though tinged with remorse. "Oh, but you do, Angel. After all, I am Jack Everly."

Bluejay stopped struggling, shock freezing her limbs.

"No." She whispered. "Jack Everly left. He promised I would never see him again, that I should go find someone else to crush on. Nothing else. Not a single word."

Memories rushed through her mind. Walking to class with him by her side, both laughing. Then another, passing notes in biology, giving each other secret smiles when the teacher couldn't decipher the code they were writing in. Watching him play basketball with his friends, blushing when he winked at her.

Jack Everly. The boy she loved. The boy who left.

"Yea, I'm sorry about that." The voice was the same, regretful, though deeper, more husky than she remembered.

Rage filled Angel, overlapping the shock. "You're sorry? You're _sorry_! You should be more than _sorry_, you stupid, self-centered _bastard_!" She hissed at him, her voice shaking with fury.

Despite this life or death situation, all Angel could feel was hurt and anger. She had been so broken after he had left, it had taken her almost a whole year to just recover from the shock.

"Angel, you know I regret what I did." Jack said, reaching up quickly with his hand to pull off the mask. His sky blue eyes were beseeching hers, his ruffled light blond hair still the same. "I didn't want to hurt you. But… Someone... Took an interest in me, thinking I was right for this job. That's why I left. I was cruel because I didn't want you to try and contact me. Which you did anyway." He grimaced at the memory, probably remembering all the hateful letters she had sent him.

"But why did you leave your family… School… Me for… For _this_?" Angel asked.

"Why are you a hero now?" Jack countered.

Angel scowled at him. "If you must know, it was partially an accident. But I regret nothing now." It was a lie. She still grieved for her family. But that hadn't been her fault.

"Ah. Guess that's what up with the wings." Jack concluded.

There was silence then, as Angel glared up at Jack and Jack stared at Angel. But after a few minutes, it was broken.

"Step away from her slowly." A familiar voice ringing with authority said from the shadows. Jack's head jerked up to see Nightwing step into the dim light.

"Ah." Jack grinned, but it was dangerous. "Didn't know you had other friends, Angel."

She flinched at her name. She still couldn't believe what was happening.

Nightwing's eyes darted towards hers, obviously shocked that 'Rogue' knew her secret identity.

"Two, to be precise." Another voice said menacingly, this time coming from behind the villain.

But Jack didn't bother turning around. "Hm. Quite overprotective aren't we?"

In the next heartbeat passed in a blur. Jack scooped down, his face level with Angel's until his lips grazed hers. She half wanted to punch him, half wanted to respond. But before she could make up her mind, he was gone, simply vanishing into thin air.

"Bluejay, are you alright?" Nightwing asked in concern.

But Angel got up, shock sealing her lips together, though they were still tingling from Jack's brief kiss. She nodded slowly, to communicate that she was fine.

Robin came and stood beside her, hesitating. He had an indescribable expression on his face.

"We should get back to the Cave." Nightwing said, helping a half-conscious Bumblebee up.

Angel nodded again, too drained to do anything else.

* * *

OMG! Evil ex boyfriend has now entered the scene! What will happen?


	23. Chapter 23 Remembering

So yea… Evil psycho for an ex boyfriend. Who knew?

The February Rose, go ahead, but I think Robin might beat you to it XD.

Maros-sad-song, lol, I'm glad you're enjoying it. And no, it's only the magical staff that he has in his possession, though it does have its limitations.

Sarcasm and Sparkles, thankies and don't worry for the updates!

* * *

The journey back to the Cave was spent in silence.

Several times, Bumblebee tried to start a conversation, but Angel's silence, Nightwing's tenseness and Robin's emotionless speaking created a silent, impenetrable cloud of negative emotion.

Angel's silence was mostly due to thought, though shock was still a large part of it. She felt as if only hours ago her life had been a completed puzzle, only to have an extra piece thrown at her, one that didn't fit anywhere.

She just couldn't wrap her head around it. Jack, a villain? Evil? The very thought made her feel sick.

Due to this thinking, along with the added shock, Angel felt dazed, as if she wasn't really present in the bioship, an ethereal being that was observing everything from another dimension.

She barely realized it when they flew into the hangar, and it took Bumblebee several times to finally shake her back to reality.

Shaking off everyone else's concern, Angel fled to her room. She needed to be alone. Quickly getting into her pajamas, she slid into bed.

She didn't cry. By now, she was too tough for that. But the feeling of pain, of loss was still there.

Almost absently, she reached up, her fingers brushing against her lips. Had the kiss meant anything? Did she want it to? She realized that she couldn't answer that question.

* * *

Nightwing was tapping on the main computer, restless. He wanted to find out who this Rogue was, and Angel obviously knew. But Angel was… He wasn't even sure.

She seemed so fragile, ready to shatter into a thousand pieces at any moment. And no one had any idea why.

"Found anything yet?" Robin asked, entering the light from one of the dim hallways.

"No." Nightwing replied, not looking up from the screen.

"How can there be no info on this guy?" Robin exclaimed, his brow creased in thought.

"Well, from the looks of it, he is just starting his career." Nightwing said dryly. "He wouldn't really tell anyone his secret identity yet, besides the people he's working for."

"True." The Boy Wonder amended.

Both heroes were silent after that, the only sound coming from Nightwing's fingers as he continued searching for information on Rogue.

Every few minutes, Robin would look like he was going to say something, but it soon died in his throat.

"What's wrong?" Nightwing asked, glancing over at him.

"It's just…" Robin seemed to be having a hard time trying to find the right words.

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a certain winged girl around here, would it?" Nightwing said, his eyebrow raising.

Robin blanched. "You always guess right, don't you?" He muttered.

Nightwing gave him a charming smile. "It's just one of my many talents."

"And so modest too." Robin commented sarcastically.

"Well, let's get back to business. What's wrong now?" Nightwing queried.

Robin fiddled with his utility belt and murmured something to low for the superhero to catch.

"What was that?" He said meaningfully.

Robin sighed. "Is it bad that I felt… Mad when Rogue kissed Angel?" He muttered, not meeting Nightwing's gaze.

Unable to help himself, a smile spread across his face.

"Tim," He chortled. "It's fine. A good sign, actually. It shows that you like her. And I bet the feeling's mutual." He added.

Robin hesitated, probably unsure whether or not to believe the older man. "Are you sure?" He asked.

Nightwing's smile faded slightly, and he turned towards the boy, putting his hand on his shoulder as he did so. "Tim," He said. "Don't worry. And anyway, villain/superhero relationships never work out."

Robin cracked a smile.

"That's what I want to see." Nightwing said, ruffling Tim's hair. "Now, you'd better be getting home."

Tim grimaced.

"Don't worry, you can come back early tomorrow." Nightwing chuckled.

Robin smiled at him, and on impulse, hugged the older hero before heading towards the Zeta Tubes.

* * *

The next morning, Angel got up wearily. She had barely slept, and now she regretted it. But she also felt like an emotional wreck, thanks to last night's mission. Shuffling to the mirror in her room, she let out a groan of horror.

She looked awful. Her hair was all tangled, feathers rumpled, skin pale, not to mention the dark shadows under her dull eyes.

Briefly, she wondered if the others would forgive her for sleeping through the day, and idea that seemed extremely appealing.

But no. It wouldn't be the best idea. And the Team probably had a few questions for her about Jack.

Her heart tightened at the thought of him. What was she going to do? She couldn't just let say that she didn't know him, that it was a coincidence that he knew her. But if the Team found out.

Angel pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, feeling a head ache coming on.

"Come on, girl. Just get dressed and have some coffee." She muttered to herself.

After a few minutes, she had changed clothes and was now trying to wrestle out the many tangles in her hair.

She let out a yelp of pain as the sharp bristles from the brush raked her ear. Glaring at the offending object, she carelessly threw it onto the bed before striding out, trying to hide her shame and pain.

"'Morning." She said timidly to Zatanna as she settled herself down in one of the seats that occupied the dining table.

"Hey," The magician greeted. "Rough night?"

Angel felt a stab of worry, but hid it behind a fake grimace. "Yeah. That Rogue hits pretty hard."

"Nightwing still hasn't found any leads on him, and he's been working since you got back from the mission." M'gann commented as she breezed past the two girls, holding a plate piled high with pancakes.

Zatanna frowned. "Yeah, he seemed pretty stressed."

Angel put her hands on her lap, twisting and clenching them anxiously.

"You know what?" She piped up suddenly, forcing cheeriness into her voice. "I'm not really hungry today… I'll catch you guys later!"

In a few moments, she was off her chair and headed towards the main cave.

* * *

"Nightwing?" Angel asked as she entered the large room.

The raven-haired adolescent looked up, surprise written all over his face. "Oh, hey Angel."

"Hey." Angel bit her lip. She had to tell _him _at least.

"I wanted to talk to you about-"

"You know who Rogue's secret identity is." Nightwing interrupted.

Angel sighed, her hand reaching up to push a stray, golden-brown strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes."

Nightwing looked at her. "Someone you knew?"

Silently, Angel nodded.

"Is that way you didn't say anything yesterday?"

Angel flinched, even though she knew the words weren't meant in an aggressive way. She bobbed her head again.

Nightwing seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "Who is he, then?" He asked after a moment.

Angel hesitated, but not for long. "Jack. Jack Everly." She said, looking down at her feet.

There was the heart-squeezing again.

Nightwing watched her closely. "That's it?"

She shook her head. "No. He's one year older than me, sixteen. Date of birth is January 19th. Eye color is light blue, hair light blond. His parents are Christine and Jonathan Everly."

Nightwing raised an eyebrow. "You must have known him well."

Angel managed a nod. "We were… Good friends."

"What happened?" The elder superhero queried, turning towards the main computer and starting to type.

"He just up and left his life about a year and a half ago." Angel responded. "His family was crazy with worry,"

_So was I. _She wanted to add, but kept her mouth shut.

"But they never found him. It was like he had completely disappeared. I was the last person to see him."

"Why?" Nightwing asked in confusion, looking over his shoulder.

Angel hesitated. "It's kind of… Personal, if you don't mind." _And more than a little painful._

Nightwing shrugged, though unease was running through him. He turned his attention back to the computer, and was rewarded with a file on the kid's disappearing act.

"Found him." He said.

Angel strode towards his sides, wings quivering anxiously. There was a picture of Jack in there, like he used to. A twinkle in his blue eyes, not hardened like sapphires.

"Yea." She sighed. "That's him."

"I'll find out as much as I can." Nightwing promised. "But you look like you need a long rest. If Shayera comes around, I'll tell her why you're not training."

Angel gave him a tired smile. "Thanks Nightwing."

She started walking towards one of the many hallways, but she stopped for a minute, and turned to face the hero.

"What happens if you find him?"

Nightwing sighed. "I don't know Angel."

* * *

Ok, if some people didn't understand, Angel and Jack DID used to have a thing. Whether this will reoccur later in the fan fiction, that's for me to know and you to find out *wink*. But do not fear, Bluebird fans (Yes, I gave Timmy and Angel a name XD)! I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve!


	24. Chapter 24 Soft Words

kickakora, thanks. Yea, I thought Bluejay and Robin would be a mouthful, so I did what any self-respecting person does; I gave them a name XD.

The February Rose, yea, if heroes always knew what to do… Then comics, fan fictions and TV shows alike would be boring :P.

* * *

Angel spent the rest of the day either cooped up in her room or playing piano by herself. Anxiety and worry were running through her, emotions that she couldn't push aside for the least amount of time.

Sure, she would smile and greet all her friends as she passed them in the cavernous halls of Mount Justice, but she really just wanted to curl up somewhere and just think for the rest of the night.

Her mind was still struggling to attach both thoughts together. Jack and Evil. Evil and Jack. For her, they shouldn't have even been in the same sentence.

But they were. Why?

Countless memories and emotions had been pin wheeling around her head since she had seen him. Since he had hurt her friends.

She was in an agony of indecision. Questions, all of them different, were showing up. Why had Jack left his perfect life for crime? Was it money? Who was he working for? Did he still have feelings for her? Hell, did _she_ still have feelings for _him_? If not, then why had he kissed her? What would she do if the Team found him? Could she convince him to try and live a normal life again?

On and on and on, like a merry-go-round with the stupid music that wouldn't shut up.

Angel sighed, her hands massaging her temples. The headache was back again.

She stared despondently at the piano. She couldn't find anything to play, even though something to distract her was exactly what she needed.

"Hey, Angel, you okay?"

Startled, Angel wheeled around, only to come face to face with Robin. She relaxed slightly, but only a little.

"Oh. I'm fine." She said quickly.

Robin gave her a skeptical look. Angel blushed and turned back towards the piano, her face uncomfortably hot.

Robin slid onto the bench, so that he was sitting next to her. Almost absently, one of his hands strayed to the keys and played a few notes.

"You seemed a little… Shell shocked last night." He said hesitantly. "I was worried, so I came to check on you."

Angel blushed again, but this time, it was a strange mix of pleasure and embarrassment. "I'm fine." She murmured.

Robin still seemed unsure, but he left her alone. For about a half hour, they both just sat there silently, though not in an uncomfortable way.

Neither of them tried to start a conversation. They didn't need to. The silence was just as comfortable then if they had been talking.

After a while, Angel's headache finally left, and she fully relaxed. It was true that lately, she had often found herself calmer when she was with Robin.

Eventually, though, Superboy came in to break the peace.

"Hey, we're watching a movie. If you guys want to come, the more the merrier." He said gruffly.

Angel smiled. "Sure."

She turned to look at Robin, who seemed to be thinking about it. Then he shrugged. "I don't think Batman'll be too upset if I miss a bit of patrol.

Angel grinned at him, and he gave her a rueful smile. And for the first time since the mission, Angel felt truly happy.

* * *

Angel had been bouncing along ahead when Superboy slowed down so Robin could catch up with him.

"She's been really quiet all day." He commented.

The raven haired teen nodded. "Yea, so everyone's been telling me."

"Well, at least she was until you went to her…" Superboy said slyly.

Robin shot him a look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Superboy shrugged, faking nonchalance. "Oh, nothing. Just stating the obvious."

Robin stared at him hard, but as usual, Superboy managed to hide his emotions.

By now, they had entered the kitchen/living room where Zatanna, M'gann, Karen and Gar were already deciding which movie to watch.

"Cowboys versus Aliens is so much better!" Garfield argued.

"Are you kidding me? I need some sadness! Bring on War Horse!" Karen said.

"I second that thought!" Zatanna volunteered. "And anyway, I though you liked animals?"

"But I like aliens and cowboys better." The 12 year old grumbled.

Angel laughed, alerting the group to their presence. "Then I guess Vigilante, Martian Manhunter and Superman like you a lot, huh?"

"Angel!" The boy yelled happily before launching himself at the adolescent.

She staggered as he hugged her.

"Please tell them we can watch Cowboys versus Aliens?" The boy begged.

M'gann and Angel both shared a look and chuckled.

"Maybe next time, Gar." Miss M said, trying to smother her giggles.

"And if the guys have a problem with it…" Karen glared at the three males in the room, who shrunk away in fear. "Then they'll just have to deal with it, like you BB."

Connor, Tim and Angel joined the others on the long couch that was in front of the TV. Karen quickly slid the movie in, while M'gann went to fetch popcorn.

Garfield pouted, but once the movie started, he became enraptured in the storyline.

Despite Gar's first complaints, the movie had a bit of everything. Plenty of sad, emotional scenes for the girls, some blood and gore for the guys. At the end of a particularly sad scene, Garfield was sobbing, while the girls had dainty tears falling down their faces.

M'gann cuddled him, reminding him that it was just a movie and the boy eventually calmed down.

Angel, who had been sitting next to Robin, eventually leaned her head on his shoulder.

The Boy Wonder stiffened in surprise, but relaxed in the next millisecond. It felt… Nice. He let his cheek rest against the crown of her head, and contentment spread through him.

* * *

By the time the credits came on, Angel was fast asleep, her soft, warm breath brushing against Robin's neck.

Superboy beckoned at them, alerting Miss M. A huge grin spread across her face and she nodded understanding.

"Well," She said cheerfully. "I guess it's time to go to bed. Come on Gar, you still need to brush your teeth."

Dragging the unsuspecting boy along, M'gann left the room, closely followed by Connor and Karen.

Once they left, Robin just sat, a bit unsure what to do. He really didn't want to wake her, but he wasn't sure how to get up and carry her to her room without disturbing her.

Eventually, he decided that was the only course of action and very gently stood up, being careful not to disturb Angel.

He then picked her up in his arms, her head leaning against his chest. Quickly, but gently, he carried her to her room and laid her on her bed.

She barely stirred, her breath coming out evenly as he turned to leave. But at the door, he half-turned, wanting to look at her a last time.

She seemed so vulnerable, yet at peace, her golden-brown hair framing her beautiful face, and for a moment, Tim had to catch his breath before exiting the room, affection blooming in his chest like a flower.

He told the Team members that lived in the Cave goodnight, and headed towards the Zeta Tubes.

Even as his particles were unassembled, zapped to the Batcave and reassembled, he ached to be in Angel's company again. He took a shower, and got into bed, but his thoughts still lingered on Angel.

And for the rest of the night, Tim couldn't sleep, only thinking of the soft pressure of Angel's head on his shoulder, and the warm glow of pleasure and warmth came back anew.

* * *

"Good morning Master Timothy." An English, familiar voice said, rousing the raven-haired youth from sleep.

"What?" He muttered in confusion, rubbing his eyes.

"It is already 10 o'clock, Sir. Master Bruce sent me to wake you."

At these words, Tim sat bolt upright.

"10 o'clock!" He said in horror. "Bruce is gonna kill me!"

"Highly unlikely, I assure you…" The butler started, but the Boy Wonder was already up and about, searching for his Robin uniform.

"Aha!" Tim pounced on the fabric and frantically pulling off his T-shirt to replace it with his cape and shirt. "Alfred, have you seen my utility belt?"

"Yes, I belie-"

"Never mind, I found it!"

In the space of a few minutes, Tim, or more precisely, Robin was ready.

He ran full pelt through the long hallways of Wayne Manor, and literally skidded to a halt in front of the clock that served as an entrance to the Batcave. Before it was fully open, Robin had slipped inside and darted towards the Batcomputer.

"I see you're finally up." Batman commented as he tapped on the keyboard.

"I'm sorry, I was up late last night, well, later than usual, you know what I mean and so I was really-" Tim became quiet as Bruce lifted a hand to stop his gabbing.

"Don't worry, I'm not mad. I did, after all, sent Alfred to wake you 7 minutes ago. Which is, by the way, beating your record."

Tim blushed. It had happened more than the one time that he had woken up late.

"I'm guessing that you don't want to tell me why you went to bed late?" The Dark Knight quipped.

Robin turned even redder as he remembered last night, the affection he had felt when Angel had leaned against him.

"We just watched a movie." He mumbled.

"Mhm."

* * *

Short, but sweet if I do say so myself. I felt the need to write a bit more about Tim and Angel, so voila!


	25. Chapter 25 Nightmare

WARNING; if you do not like blood, stop reading after the third paragraph line thingie. Seriously. I tried not to make it too bloody, but it's also pretty sad. I almost started crying when I wrote it. ALMOST, mind you.

The February Rose, XD, I was hoping that someone would have that reaction. And congrats on making the 40th review :D.

* * *

It was dark. Angel couldn't see anything, not a speck of light or the outline of an object. For some reason, she felt as if she was in a large space. She didn't move, afraid that if she made a noise, a hidden monster would jump out of nowhere.

"Angel." A soft voice said, shocking her.

The person was close. So close that she could feel warm breath caressing her ear and jaw.

"Angel. You have to leave them. You're too good for them. Come with me instead."

Angel felt a chill of realization as she recognized the owner of the voice.

"Get away." She said venomously, even though fear was threatening to make her voice tremble.

"Wouldn't you be happier with me? Come on, Angel, you know that life's better in darkness." Jack said, his voice persuasive.

"You're evil. Why should I trust you?" Angel spat.

"I've been your best friend since you were two… Of course you should trust me. I shared every secret I had with you."

"Right. You totally told me what you were planning when you vanished into thin air!" Angel said, trying to make it sound courageous, but her voice was shaking.

The voice clucked in disapproval. "Didn't I apologize for that?"

"Yea, while you had me in a death grip!" Angel hissed, managing to put a little more anger into her voice. "How are you here anyway?"

"Both our minds are in a parallel dimension. In a way, you're dreaming."

"And you aren't?"

"Thanks to my… Boss, I have my own ways of getting in. In a normal world, I shouldn't even be able to share this dream dimension with you. But he's willing to try anything to get you back."

"I'm not some sort of mindless toy that does whatever she's told!" Angel yelled, hoping that the loud noise would dispel Jack from her mind and take away her fear.

Neither happened.

"I know that better than anyone, Angel. It's why he sent me into your dreams instead of his _other _associates." Jack said other as if it disgusted him.

"Well, you can but out of my brain. I'm fine where I am!" Angel snapped.

Jack sighed, his warm breath stirring her hair.

"I really didn't want to do this Angel. But he said that I have to do it if reasoning won't work."

"What are you talking abo-" Angel was cut off as sudden, blinding light appeared.

After the darkness, the bright light was agonizing for her eyes. She let out a sort of wail before covering her eyes, bringing her wings up in an attempt to ward some of it off.

But as soon as it had appeared, the light dimmed, becoming a faint red glow behind Angel's eyelids. Hesitantly, she cracked her eyes open.

A gasp escaped her, and her eyes opened fully. The red glow wasn't coming from the sun, as she had suspected, but instead from a raging fire.

It was engulfing a large shape, and Angel had to squint slightly to tell what it was.

When she did, she fell to her knees, and let out a strangled sob.

It was her house, burning to the ground. A desperate hope took hold of her and she got up and started to run unsteadily towards the fiery building.

"Angel!"

She turned slightly to see Jack, his face shocked. He clearly hadn't been expecting her to go in.

But she ignored him, took a running start and started to fly. All the hot air made it easy for her, and she was barely working as she swooped towards her sister's window.

"Mira!" She screamed, pounding on the glass. It wouldn't break. With a cry of frustration, she kicked it, shattering the window, bits of glass cutting her. She ignored the stings of pain and entered the room.

She could save her family. She had to.

She ran towards the bed that was next to the door, already spotting the sleeping form of her sister.

"Mira!" She yelled, trying to shake the older girl's shoulder. But to her horror, her hand passed through her sister.

"Wake up!" She was sobbing now, the tears almost instantly evaporating in the heat.

Something wrapped around her waist and she was pulled from her sister's bedside.

"No!" She screamed, shaking violently to throw off her attacker.

"It's only a vision." Jack's voice hissed in her ear, for the first time sounding sad.

"No! I can save them!" I can-"

But as the words were said, she felt as if the whole atmosphere was pressing on her, and darkness clouded her vision once again.

* * *

But Angel didn't wake up. Instead, she found herself in a long room, filled with benches. She had a startling déjà vu of a court room.

The sudden sound of voices arguing alerted her that she wasn't alone. Jack was there, talking to… Someone.

It was probably human, but besides its humanoid shape, she couldn't say her statement was true. It was tall and lean, and wearing a long dark cloak, like what the Grim Reaper would wear. Its face was hidden by a large hood, nothing discernable in the shadows.

Angel let out a small whimper of fear.

Both Jack and the Grim Reaper guy turned towards her. She tensed, her wings ready to get her out of there.

"You cannot escape." The cloaked person said ominously.

"Please. We can try another night." Jack told it. He sounded… Pleading.

"No. The sooner she joins us, the better."

Finally, Angel found her voice, still slightly choked from her tears. "Go to Hell."

The cloaked person said grimly, "See? We must show her the _consequences _if she does not join us."

The Grim Reaper guy practically spat out consequences as if they were fake.

"She's had enough!" Jack protested.

"No."

The cloaked man stepped forward, arm raised. Angel flinched away from it, but it seemed to freeze her in place, making it unable to move.

Long, cold fingers came into contact with her forehead, and Angel was sucked away again.

* * *

It wasn't a certain place this time. Images kept flitting across her eyes, like some kind of movie. She tried to look away, to close her eyes, but a dark voice said, "Watch."

Her eyes flickered open as if someone had opened them for her. But as soon as she started to see the images, she couldn't have made herself turn away, she was so horrified.

It was small things at first; earthquakes, small fires, nothing very severe. But the longer she watched, the worse it got.

People screaming, buildings collapsing. Blood, everywhere blood.

A small moan escaped Angel at the destruction she saw, but she couldn't look away. But the worst was yet to come.

Angel blinked, a small action, but in the next moment, she was _experiencing _these images

She was standing in the middle of a city, hundreds of armed men swarming around her and killing innocent people. The sky was red, and she could taste blood on her tongue.

Now she was in Metropolis, League members attacking with all they had. She spotted Hawkwoman out of the corner of her eye and turned, a cry of warning escaping her lips. But it was too late. Someone wearing a metal mask threw a long spear, aiming it at the winged woman.

She dropped, her wings trailing uselessly in the air as her dead body plummeted downwards.

"Shayera!" Angel screamed, fresh tears coursing down her face.

But it switched again, this one even worse. She was standing on the top of Mount Justice, watching in horror as the Team was attacked by multiple villains.

She could see Lagoon Boy and Aqualad fighting side by side, until Black Manta took them both down, his red beams hitting them in the chest. They both dropped like stones.

Wondergirl fought valiantly alongside Superboy, but in the next split second, blood was dripping as a dagger sprouted from her chest. She fell silently, her body barely making a thump in the midst of all this chaos.

Superboy let out a roar of rage and leaped at the crowd of armed soldiers that were attacking alongside the super villains, but a bald man in a large robot suit stepped forward, something sharp, green and glinting in his hand.

The shout turned into a scream of pain as Connor crumpled to the ground suddenly, gasping for breath. The man, Lex Luthor, Angel realized with a start, smiled grimly and plunged the green rock into the clone.

He stopped moving.

Everyone was falling. Garfield screamed as someone zapped him with electricity, his body jerking for a few moments.

M'gann, tears running down her face, raced to avenge her fallen friends, but she was taken down as swiftly as the others.

"Zatanna!"

Angel managed to bring herself out of the horror that placed her where she was, her head whipping around to see where the cry had come from.

What she saw made her gasp, the tears pouring down harder than ever.

Zatanna was lying still on the ground, Nightwing cradling her head as he tried to murmur comforting words, grief making his voice crack.

Scattered around him, dead, were the others.

Wally and Artemis lay entangled in each other, the speedster's arms wrapped around the girl he loved.

Bumblebee's wings were mangled and broken, as was the rest of her armor as she lay on the rocky ground.

Rocket was nowhere to be seen, while Red Arrow leaned against a tree, his whole figure slumping.

Batgirl was also down, her cape hiding her back, even though blood was seeping through.

Only Nightwing and Robin were alive.

_Robin. _

Frantically, Angel turned, her eyes searching for the Boy Wonder. She finally found him, in the midst of battle, striking down opponents with every movement, but he was outnumbered.

Angel tried to move, tried to go to help him, but the cloaked man was back again.

"You cannot do anything."

"Watch me!" Angel spat, struggling to move. But she was frozen in place, her efforts futile.

As she watched, everything started to get darker, the movements slowing down. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nightwing yell out a battle cry and charge, running towards Robin.

Then everything vanished for a split second.

"You see? This is what will happen if you do not join us." The dark man hissed in her ear, and she could see again.

There was only one patch of light, but it was what was there that caused Angel to sway, disbelief clouding her mind.

Robin was lying there, blood pooling out from underneath his body.

Angel let out a cry and ran forwards, not realizing that the cloaked person was letting her move. She skidded to a halt as she reached the Boy Wonder's side, and crouched by him, gently turning him face up.

He was dead.

Tears clouded her vision, the hot, salty drops dripping down her face. She began to sob, long, broken things, her shoulders racking with the movement.

Still crying, she pulled Robin towards her as she leaned over his chest, her tears already soaking his blood-streaked uniform.

"No. No, no, no!" She whimpered as she stroked his bruised face. "This can't be happening."

"It isn't. But it will." Were the last words she heard as darkness came for a last time.

* * *

"Angel! Angel! Wake up!" Shayera was shaking Angel's shoulders as the girl sobbed and screamed under her hands.

"What's wrong with her?" Robin asked, panicked.

"I don't know." Shayera said worriedly, her face was pale and drawn.

Angel had been in this state for two nights and a day. It was early morning, about 3:00 am.

Shayera, Robin and Nightwing had been at her bedside since the fits had started, all of them trying to wake the frantic teenager up, to no avail.

They had called in M'gann several times, to enter Angel's mind and wake her up from within, but all the Martian had caught was glimpses of darkness, a man wearing a cloak and blood.

But all of a sudden, the twisting and screaming from Angel stopped.

Her eyes flickered open, staring uncomprehendingly at Shayera, the tears seemingly stopping. In the next moment, no one moved as Angel stared around her, shock and grief still filling her face.

As her eyes laid on Robin, she just stared for a moment. But then she started to cry again, the tears falling down her face at an alarming rate.

"Shhh. Shhh." Shayera crooned, hugging the girl.

Her sobs didn't stop, but grew more numerous as she buried her face in Shayera's shoulder, occasional moaning noises coming from her.

"It was so real. So, so real." Was all that she could say, over and over again.

* * *

Yes, I know that it's a very depressing chapter, but… Yea, I thought this would be the best way to reintroduce her insecurities. I haven't decided how often they should appear, but I think we all know they're going to get worse. To what end, though?


	26. Chapter 26 Almost

This chapter isn't half as depressing, but you might get frustrated by the ending… ;D

Sticker99, no don't cry! PS, love your avatar XD.

kickakora, well it was meant to be a teensy bit depressing…

The February Rose, good speechless, or bad speechless?

* * *

The nightmares came back the following night. And the next. And the next.

But still Angel refused to tell anyone what happened, what she saw. She could barely stand thinking about it, much less talk about it.

From time to time, M'gann would attempt to enter Angel's mind while she had these nightmares, only to be repelled by some invisible force, almost like an electric fence covered in barbed wire.

Angel tried to act normal, tried to pretend nothing was wrong.

But the images haunted her, and sometimes when she looked at a teammate, she would try to resist the urge to tremble as the memories came to her unbidden.

She trained, she ate, she talked, she tried to sleep. But she started to stay cooped up in her room more and more often, barely coming for anything else than missions and mealtimes.

For the next week, the piano remained untouched, her frantic scribbles of writing remaining unchanged. She didn't have the heart to play or write.

She mostly, in terms of health, didn't decline. She continued to eat well, and remained fit, but she was constantly pale, her green eyes dull and her hair and feathers lacking their usual luster.

She became more quiet, enthusiasm becoming harder and harder to pull from her.

The person Angel responded to the most, however, was Robin. Every time he came to see her, she would brighten up considerably, a pink flush returning to her cheeks.

But from time to time, her mind would flash back to her most awful horrors of the night, Robin lying down, covered in blood.

Because of this, Angel both feared and craved for his company. Feared, because she was worried that it was her involvement that put him in danger, and craved because she felt that she could keep an eye on him. And besides, he was her closest friend.

_Friend._

The very word and its simple implications had Angel wondering. Her time with Robin was the highlight of the day, while in an effort to keep herself awake, she puzzled and mused over her feelings at night.

But then Jack would come into her thoughts, unbidden, and she wondered about him too.

Every night since the first nightmare, the Grim Reaper, as she now called him, would ask if she would join him and Jack, along with their coworkers.

Every time she refused and every time he sent her into what had become her personal living Hell.

But every time, Jack would plead with her, telling her that if she came with him that her friends would be safe, that the horrors would stop.

And when she continuously refused, he would argue with Grim.

Angel wanted to believe him. But she also knew that it was probable that her nightmares were just that; nightmares. Tricks to send her into darkness, along with all the other super villains.

So she tried to bear it, refusing to beg for mercy, for forgiveness, that she would join them, instead suffering with simple sobs and tears.

When she awoke, she would try to calm herself down, trying to wish the memories away.

During the dreams, she tried to stay as quiet as possible, hoping that would translate to her consciousness and keep her from screaming in the middle of the night and making everyone worry.

She had only woken up alone once.

Every other time, Superboy, M'gann and Zatanna were there, sometimes along with BB and Nightwing.

Angel tried to tell them that she was fine, but the hysteria in her voice was obvious, and they wouldn't go without trying hard to have her tell them what was wrong.

But she couldn't tell them. Anyway, how would she?

* * *

It was mid-day at the Cave. No one was around, as only Angel had been excluded from missions. Shayera had told her she deserved a rest.

But without training, or a mission, Angel was at a loss for what to do.

So she just strode about, trying to keep herself busy.

"_Recognized, Robin. B20."_

Excitement filled Angel, the feeling temporarily pushing away her tiredness and lingering horror.

Wings quivering with excitement, she half-flew to the main cave where the Zeta Tubes were.

"Hey, Robin!" She said, stopping as the hero walked towards him.

But her cheerful gazed turned questioning as she looked him up and down.

"What are you wearing?" She asked, her eyebrow rising slightly.

Robin blushed. His usual red and black uniform had been replaced jeans, black converse, a plain black shirt and a hoodie. Covering his eyes were a pair of dark sunglasses.

In an unusual gesture of embarrassment, he lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his head.

"Batman said I can spend the day at the Cave today." He mumbled quickly, not mentioning that it had taken a whole lot of pleading on his part. "And said that I could get out of uniform for a while. It needs to be washed anyway."

He smiled ruefully at Angel and the single action made her whole body tingle.

"Well, it's great that you're here since I got 'a day of rest', which pretty much means a day of boredom." She pronounced.

Robin's smile turned relieved, and Angel once again felt as if she was filled with stars.

* * *

Over the next few hours, Robin managed to distract Angel from her night hauntings, and, unknowingly, from the visions the Grim Reaper had shown her.

Robin was surprised, though. Everyone else had said that Angel had been really quiet these days, not herself at all, but she was acting fine with him now.

It was true, however, that she never offered to play him a piece of music on the piano, or to read out loud a funny quote from the book she was reading.

But besides those two anomalies, Robin didn't see any change in her. She seemed as eager to please and happy as always, her movement as graceful as dancing as she moved around from room to room.

Several times, Angel caught Tim staring, and she blushed, as did he, before looking away.

The Boy Wonder chided himself, but spending so much time with Angel was… Exhilarating. There was never a dull moment, never a time when neither knew what to say.

In short, both were happy and content in each other's company, if a little embarrassed from time to time.

But all good things come to an end.

Glancing at the clock in the living room, Robin sighed.

"I have to go. Batman's expecting me, and I need to go on patrol."

Angel hesitated, uncertainty seeming to linger in her.

"Promise you'll be careful?" She asked, looking up at Robin with imploring eyes.

But there was something else there too. Almost… A sort of panic, desperation.

"I always am." Robin smiled down at her reassuringly, but she still seemed a little unsure.

"It's just…" She said, before trailing off, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"What is it?" Robin asked, frowning slightly.

"I just don't know what I'd do if you got hurt." She whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "If something happened to you…"

Robin was startled, but the shocked emotion was drowned by a deep, intimate affection. Almost instinctively, Tim wrapped his arms around Angel, wings and all, and pulled her close to him.

She didn't resist and wrapped her arms around his waist while she buried her face in his chest.

"I don't know what I'd do either." Robin said softly, knowing they were true. If she got hurt… He couldn't bear to think about what the agony it would do to him.

Angel drew back slightly, her emerald eyes staring up into his face. Tim was shocked to see that they were shiny with tears.

He lifted one of his hands to stroke her cheek, and her eyes closed at his touch.

"Angel." He whispered softly.

His heart started to beat faster as her eyes opened again, this time clear of her tears.

Her face tilted upwards as his came down.

They were so close. But Tim didn't feel embarrassed. It felt… Right.

Both pairs of eyes, bright blue and emerald green, closed simultaneously as their faces came ever closer.

Her long, full eyelashes were tickling his cheek bones…

"_Recognized, Miss Martian. B05. Superboy, B04."_

At the sound, the spell was broken.

Robin's eyes flew open to meet Angel's, who seemed as startled as he was.

There was a moment of silence and embarrassment filled Tim. He instantly released her and stepped back, swallowing hard as a blush came up his neck and covered his face.

Angel seemed as uncomfortable as he was.

"I-I should go," Robin stammered.

Angel immediately nodded agreement, and a small pang went through Tim, but he pushed it away.

And without another word, he turned and quickly strode to the Zeta Tubes, fervently hoping that the blood would have left his face when he saw Alfred and Bruce.

But there was also a deep, strong longing, that made him want to turn around and head to Angel, to hold her tightly and kiss her… But it was crazy.

* * *

Ha! I made you hope, didn't I? Well, guess you'll have to wait a bit longer for that kiss! *evil grin*


	27. Chapter 27 Out

I am starting to like having such power over people *rubs hands together* What havoc shall I wreak next?

KitsuNova, you'll just have to wait like everyone else. *devilish grin* But to reassure you, only a few more chapters until that time…

Airmage, lol, yea. And thanks!

The February Rose, that's good ^^. And it's true, when it comes to walking in at the wrong moments, they definitely get the prize.

STicker55, yes, it was wasn't it? I love being evil! And you're welcome!

* * *

For the next few days, Angel and Tim avoided each other.

Well, they tried to.

But it always happened that one or the other would be sucked into a conversation where the other would be in. Both would just mumble a few words, and then quickly try to excuse themselves.

For Robin, this was the only problem.

But Angel's nightmares got worse and worse every night, and when she thought of Robin during the day, his broken body would invariably come into her mind, along with thoughts of Jack.

Her resistance was wearing. She knew it. It was only a matter of time before she cracked, before she pleaded with Grim Reaper and Jack, tell them that she would join their side, as long as they wouldn't hurt her new family.

She knew they were probably only illusions, cast for the purpose of succumbing to Grim Reaper's words, but when every night passed, she became more and more unsure.

M'gann was constantly trying to pry into her mind. By now, Angel could tell. Once she felt the jabbing push, she would instantly start thinking about something else, or wrap her thoughts with mental barbed wire to keep the Martian out.

She hated it. Hated these secrets. Hated having to lie to everyone.

But it was the only way they could stay safe.

* * *

_Blood, everywhere blood. _

_Their bodies, lying scattered on the ground._

_Unmoving. _

_Angel tried to shut her eyes, but the images were imprinted into her brain. _

"_Give up!" A low voice hissed into her ear. _

"_No!" Angel yelled, covering her ears with her hands. "I've told you a thousand times, no!"_

"_GIVE UP!" This time the voice was a scream. _

_Angel let out a shriek as she felt sharp nails pierce her flesh._

_They were dragged down her arm, leaving four thin trails of blood._

_Blood, so much blood…_

* * *

"Angel!"

Her green eyes shot open as she sat straight up in shock, a strangled gasp coming from her throat.

Zatanna and M'gann were in front of her, both of their eyes wide in shock.

"Are you alright?" M'gann asked in concern.

Angel opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

The magician sat on the bed and hugged her. Angel realized with a start that she was shaking, quaking like a leaf in a strong wind.

She hugged Zatanna back, wishing that her body would stop trembling.

She wasn't crying. No, she had shed all her tears while she slept. And if she had had tears to shed, they wouldn't have fallen. The shock was too great.

Angel took in a few deep, shaky breaths and closed her eyes, wishing that the images in her mind would go away. They didn't.

She let out a low whimper as the scenes flashed through her brain. Zatanna held her more tightly.

_Why is he doing this to me? _Angel moaned inwardly.

"Who's doing what?" M'gann said sharply.

With a flash of shock, she realized that she had spoken the words out loud. No, wait. Zatanna was looking at M'gann in confusion.

_She read my mind._ Angel groaned to herself.

"It's nothing." She said hurriedly, trying to cover up her mistake.

M'gann looked at her gently, but pointedly. "Angel, do you really think I wouldn't get something?"

"I hoped not." Angel whispered.

The Martian gave her a partially exasperated look.

"What's going on with you?" M'gann said, sitting down on the bed as well. "If you don't feel comfortable saying it out loud, then you can just open up your mind and let me read it."

Angel paled, but she felt hesitant as well. Could she tell her?

Finally, she nodded slowly, and realized she had stopped trembling.

Zatanna stopped hugging her in comfort, but gave her a small smile of encouragement.

"Alright. Don't try to think about specific things. Just open up your mind to me." M'gann said soothingly.

Angel closed her eyes, and tried to think relatively blank thoughts, though they still centered around the night's latest horrors.

She felt a gentle pressure on her mind, but instead of blocking her mind from it, she embraced it.

Suddenly, her mind flashed through different memories, some she hadn't been thinking about.

It was almost as if M'gann were skipping through the pages of a book. Except, of course, it was Angel's own mind.

She flinched as the Martian finally stumbled across her memories of the nightmares. Vaguely, she felt an apologetic emotion flow from M'gann's mind.

It wasn't long before she found out why. She was plunged into her very first nightmare. Then the next. Then the next.

She had to relive them all over again. By the time the last one came to its conclusion, as the blood dripped from her mental arm, she was unknowingly writhing on her bed.

But it ended. The sudden relief broke her all over again. She came out of her mind, images of her dead friends once again fresh in her brain. M'gann was as pale a green as was possible.

Nothing was said as Angel started to cry, M'gann continued to look shocked and Zatanna looked between the two of them, frustrated that she didn't know what was going on.

"Oh, Angel." The Martian whispered finally.

Angel tried to stop her tears. "I didn't want to tell any of you. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Angel, Angel." M'gann crooned softly, sympathy coloring her voice.

She walked towards the teen and put her arms around her.

"Are you going to tell the rest of the Team?" Angel said, her voice cracking.

M'gann sighed. "Only a few, for now. Nightwing, most obviously, and Robin already knows something's up. Definitely Kaldur, along with Connor, Artemis and Wally."

Angel wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not. They were the members that she trusted the most.

But another thing she knew was that her secret was most definitely out.

* * *

I know it's short, and I feel bad about it . But don't worry, bigger chapters will follow!


	28. Chapter 28 Rally

I have bad news D:. Next week, I won't be able to post any chapters on Thursday or Friday as we're taking an overnight field trip… But I'll be posting chapters as usual besides that :P.

ieatcookies, thank you ;).

KitsuNova, I know I'm cruel, it's just the way I work XD. And thank you so much!

The February Rose, yeah, if I was being mentally stalked by a creepy dude in a cloak and my ex-boyfriend I would probably tell someone… But she did think that it was the best way to protect her friends. And don't worry; I consider characters real as well :D

Sarcasm and Sparkles, no worries ^^. Sometimes I get really busy too, which is why Wednesday is my day off, since I have my very long piano lessons that day XD.

* * *

The next morning, M'gann called for a conference of the most senior team members and Robin to discuss Angel's nightmares.

The girl herself was not present, as she had asked to excuse herself as soon as she calmed herself down. All M'gann knew right now was that she had gone flying.

But a faint orange was making the sky look like dusk, the stars fading into the now-pinkish sky, as the sun came up, and there was still no sign of her.

M'gann felt a small tug of worry, but pushed it away. Angel could take care of herself.

"So what has passed?" Aqualad queried.

M'gann exchanged a look with Zatanna. The Martian had told her about Angel's nightmares, how Rogue and someone she called the Grim Reaper had been showing her horrible visions.

"We found out what's been… _Bothering_ Angel." Zatanna said, her blue eyes troubled.

The Team instantly looked interested, if a bit wary.

"And…?" Nightwing asked, letting the question hang in the air.

"Angel has been having nightmares, as you all know," M'gann began.

About twenty minutes later, M'gann was looking at six shocked faces.

"Why is this… Guy, doing this to her?" Nightwing asked, trying to contain his guilt at not being able to help Angel before.

M'gann shook her head and sighed. "All I know it's probably for the same reason as why Cadmus wanted her. She's a valuable pawn in this crime game."

Wally narrowed his eyes. "I think there's something more to this."

Superboy nodded his head. "So do I. This Grim Reaper is just on the surface of something."

"The question is what?" Artemis said, her face still pale.

Only Robin didn't say anything.

* * *

Angel stayed away from the Cave as long as possible, unsure what to expect from her teammates. She sighed softly as a cool wind caressed her feathers and gently lifted her up higher into the sky.

Exhaustion made her weary, but with the constant wind blowing this way and that, it was easy to stay aloft.

She circled around several times, not bothering to try any aerial maneuvers. Everything was so quiet, so peaceful. Completely unlike the horrifying world she had seen only hours ago in her sleep.

A shudder ran through her, causing the tips of her wings to tremble with terror. Had she been mistaken to tell M'gann about Jack and Grim Reaper visiting her in her sleep?

What would the others think? What about Robin?

Angel flinched at the thought of the hero, flashes of his battered body running through her mind.

"Hey, Blue!" Angel turned in surprise, only to see her mentor swoop towards her, wings beating strongly.

"Hawkwoman?" She asked.

Shayera veered a little so she was side by side with Bluejay. "M'gann told me… About the nightmares." She said, getting straight to the point.

Angel nodded dully. She should have guessed.

"We're going to find this guy. We're going to stop him." Shayera continued, her voice getting stronger.

Bluejay looked at her in surprise. "You really believe that?" She said, doubt coloring her voice.

Shayera snorted. "You really think we're just gonna pretend nothing's wrong?"

Angel was silent, and just looked ahead.

"Do you really think you could stop him?" She asked after a few seconds of silence, allowing worry to enter her tone.

"Well, we're sure gonna try." Shayera retorted.

"And anyway," She added with a grin. "You don't really think we're gonna let him steal all our secrets through you. Plus, I really can't wait to kick that Grim Reaper's a-" She stopped and corrected herself. "Butt. Kick that Grim Reaper's butt."

Angel smiled, sudden courage filling her.

"You're right." She conceded, causing Shayera to grin again.

After all, she wasn't just Angel Devine anymore; she was the Bluejay.

* * *

After a few more hours of flying lessons, the two flew back into the Cave, both landing lightly on their feet.

Bluejay still felt nervous about the seniors' reactions, but she had more confidence than before.

But when she stepped into the Zeta Tube cave, they all shot her reassuring smiles. She grinned back, hope flaring in her chest. She wasn't alone.

_So? That just means more will come down with you. _A small part of her mind whispered to Bluejay, but she pushed it away.

"Angel?" It was Nightwing who stepped forward.

Bluejay nodded, shyness trying to overcome her.

"We just wanted you to know that we'll do everything in our power to keep you safe." He said, his voice strong with conviction.

"Hear, hear!" KF said jokingly, speeding forwards until he was besides his best friend. "All for one, and one for all!"

Artemis came up behind him and whacked him upside the head.

The speedster let out a yelp of pain before giving the archer a half-hearted glare.

Connor rolled his eyes, before stepping forward as well. "I second that." He grunted.

"So do I." M'gann said, smiling at Bluejay.

"I'm in." Artemis acknowledged Angel by giving her a small wave with her bow.

"As am I." Kaldur said, flashing a smile towards the winged girl.

"Uh, I think we all know I'm a yes." Zatanna teased as she walked up to Nightwing and leaned against him.

A flower of deep affection blossomed in Bluejay's chest. This was her family now. And no matter what Grim Reaper and Rogue said, she wasn't giving them up without a fight.

"We'd better get to finding Rogue and the Grim Reaper then." She said, causing everyone, including her mentor to smile.

And unbeknownst to Angel, there was a figure hidden by the shadows as he leaned against the wall near the mouth of one of the hallways.

His mouth was turned up in a warm smile while his dark blue eyes gazed affectionately as he stared at her.

Tim had noticed that the only time when he could ever really embrace his feelings, he had to be in darkness, unseen, the lack of light making a screen in which he could really show his affection.

He wasn't sure how to show it to her without it, though. But he was certain it wouldn't be long.

There was still that nagging uncertainty that he didn't feel the same way he did; but that seemed minor at the moment.

All he could do for now was gaze at her in rapture, his affection for now cloaked by darkness, as his mentor did so often.

* * *

I actually really enjoyed that end bit with Tim… Next chapter up tomorrow! And I know this one is short too XD. But right now, I'm making the chapters shorter cuz there should be different key parts in different chapters. Well, that's how I think it should be XD.


	29. Chapter 29 Hello

I just saw the newest episode of YJ: Invasion. It was MIND-BLOWING! First of all, Timmy actually talks in the episode (XD) but Impulse comes from the future, saves Flash's life, and Wally gets back into costume! Ok, I'll stop hyperventilating now…

shikaxtema foreva, thank you ^^.

The February Rose, that's definitely true. And anyway, if superheroes had no friends then that would mean 1) no justice league, and 2) no sidekicks! Which would be a great tragedy.

tdyn0, you have nothing to fear, the next chapter is here! (Ok, wow, that was a really, really bad rhyme… Just ignore it ^^II)

STicker55, lol, true. And I tried to make the Angel-is-not-alone thing as sweet as possible.

* * *

As the sky got darker, apprehension began to fill Angel. Night may have meant rest, but rest meant nightmares.

So she tried to stay up as long as possible, working with Nightwing to find any leads on Rogue and Grim Reaper, along with where they might be hiding.

But eventually, Dick saw how tired she looked, and told her to go to bed.

She protested, trying to keep her panic and fear at bay as she argued with the older hero.

"I want to help," She said, looking up pleadingly.

"Yea, but_ I _want you to get some rest." Nightwing retorted.

Angel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "And since when do I listen to you?"

"Since you joined this team. Now, go sleep. I'll handle the research for now."

Angel scowled at him, but seeing that there was no way she could convince him to let her stay up, she turned and stalked out of the room, her feathers ruffled in agitation.

After changing into some comfortable PJ's, she curled up on her side, staring at the blank wall.

She tightened her wings around her in a way that covered her just as well as any blanket, and tried to stay distracted.

First she tried thinking up a short story, which often kept her awake. But no inspiration suddenly popped out of nowhere and caused a brain storm. She considered turning on the light, but that would just alert Nightwing that she was awake.

She sighed.

_What I would give for an iPod with very loud music on it._ She groaned inwardly.

But despite her best efforts to stay awake, she caught herself more than once with her eyes slipping closed.

And after a while, they didn't open again as she fell into the depths of sleep.

* * *

_Blood, everywhere blood._

"_Do you really think that telling your friends about us will stop me?" The Grim Reaper said, amused as he showed her her now nightly and expected tortures. _

_Artemis and Miss Martian fighting side by side as villains surged forward to bring them down._

_Beast Boy's cry as a pitch black wave engulfed him, his hand clawing desperately at the air before that was submerged as well. _

_Aqualad and Lagoon Boy writhing on the ground, choking as a fiery figure stalked towards them, flames encircling them._

_Nightwing and Kid Flash lying on the ground, unmoving._

_And Robin. Over and over and over again. The Joker with a knife to his throat, a masked figure causing to edge closer and closer to the edge of a precipice, lying down on his back, hands loosely holding onto a birdarang…_

_Angel tried to look away, but she knew it was futile. In this world, she had no control. _

"_This wouldn't happen if you just let go… If you simply joined us…" Grim Reaper whispered. _

"_No." Angel said, unable to speak more than one syllable, so transfixed by the horrors that were unfolding in front of her._

_He let out a hiss of displeasure, the sound causing shivers to run down Angel's spine. _

"_Very well." _

_She flinched, expecting to feel pain pierce her arms._

_And there was pain. But on her wings._

_She let out a shriek as agony flashed through her right wing, then the left. Looking down, she could see bloodied feathers lying at her feet._

_She didn't have the time to process the shock of someone trying to hurt her wings before another streak of pain caused her to bend over, tears fighting to fall from the feeling. _

"_Stop!" She screamed._

_And strangely enough, it did. _

_No, it wasn't gone. There was still a throb, but it became more distant by the second. It was only then she realized that her surroundings were doing the same._

_It became darker, as if someone was throwing a cloak over the whole thing, until it faded to non-existence. Exhaustion filled her and she slumped to the floor, peace flooding through her for the first time in a while._

_She didn't know what had happened. But she was grateful._

* * *

In the waking world, M'gann, Nightwing, Zatanna and Robin all let out identically sighs of relief as Angel's breathing slowed to a regular rhythm and tears stopped falling from her eyes.

M'gann didn't remove her hands from the girl's head, knowing that to do so would be to have Grim Reaper reinvade her mind.

"But why can you enter her mind now?" Zatanna queried.

M'gann shrugged. "I'm guessing it's either because I've been in her mind so many times I can get past her defenses or that since she's told us what happened and therefore has no subconscious obligation to keep me out."

"Whatever the reason, it's a good thing that you can keep this new villain at bay, right?" Robin asked, anxiety entering his voice.

The Martian smiled at him. "Yes. It'll help her sleep, and maybe even give us possible leads."

The Boy Wonder nodded, satisfied.

"But what about you, M'gann?" Zatanna asked, worry creasing her brow. "If you're up all night making sure no villain gets into Angel's mind, how will you cope with it as well as missions?"

But Miss M just shook her head. "I'll nap as often as I can during the day for now while I think up a better solution. One would be to train Angel so she would be able to resist such mental attacks, but that'll take some time."

"But it looks like our only option." Nightwing said with a frown.

"Don't worry." M'gann said, a wry smile touching her lips. "As a friend of mine once said, I'll manage."

Nightwing gave her a rueful grin.

* * *

The next morning, Angel woke up feeling better than she had in ages.

She stretched in her bed, and felt a small dent in the mattress. She opened her eyes to see M'gann, looking extremely tired as her long fingers touched the sides of Angel's temple.

"Good, you're awake." The Martian said, trying to give her a smile.

Angel sat up, shocked. "Have you been awake _all night_?"

M'gann grimaced. "Well, at least it was for a good purpose. No nightmares?"

A sense of wonderment came over Angel as she remembered last night's dream and how the vision and Grim Reaper had faded away into soothing darkness.

"Oh my God, thank you M'gann!" She exclaimed before hugging the Martian, gratitude making her eyes prick with tears.

M'gann hugged her back. "It's nothing. Oh, and Robin was here too, but he had to leave before you woke up."

"Oh." Angel really hoped she wasn't blushing. But from the look M'gann gave her after pulling away, she guessed she was.

"Well, I think you should get dressed. I need to go make breakfast; the boys have been awake for hours.

_Hours? _Angel thought in confusion.

She glanced at the newest part of the room; a little digital clock next to the lamp.

_10:16 am,_ it read.

Angel's eyes widened. Wow. She really had slept well.

Finally managing to get herself out of the bed, Angel quickly pulled on a pair of comfy black jeans, lace up boots and a plain black shirt made out of a loose and light material with long sleeves.

Looking in the mirror, she started. She practically didn't recognize herself. Her green eyes were sparkling, her skin had a healthy look to it and she looked… Well, more regal in a way. She realized that she had started to hold herself in a straighter manor which showed off her elegant neck and slim figure. She had also become more fit since she had last properly looked, and her sort of tall and willowy figure looked less gangly.

She inspected herself for a few more moments, her wings still and statuesque for once. After getting over her initial shock, Angel closely looked at her feathers. Nothing seemed wrong, except they had the usual, rumpled look that she saw when she got out of bed. But besides that, there was nothing to see. No patches of missing feathers, no blood.

_Just a dream. _She told herself firmly before starting to brush out the tangles in her bronze-colored hair.

* * *

After a few minutes, she found herself in the dining room and sat down next to Zatanna.

Connor and Beast Boy both greeted her, which she replied to with smiles.

A couple of moments later, M'gann came out of the kitchen with a plate piled high with bacon and quickly returned to the kitchen to get the rest of her load.

The rest of breakfast went by quickly as conversation flowed easily and everyone dug into the delicious food.

Now that Angel wasn't as held back by her dreams, she felt more at ease, more willing to open up.

Once the meal was over, she helped M'gann and Zatanna clean up the dishes while the boys went to 'fix the motorcycles' since they had apparently not been working properly for the past few days.

The girls had rolled their eyes at the excuse, but didn't say anything.

And as Angel laughed and chatted with M'gann and Zatanna, she felt more free than ever.

* * *

Once all the chores were done, were homework finished and her flying, power and combat lessons declared done by Shayera, Angel eventually wandered into the music room.

Angel slid her hands over the slightly dusty piano, a feeling of regret washed over her as she greeted the instrument in her own way.

Forming a gentle breeze, she quickly dispelled all the dist from the room and sat down on the piano seat.

She opened the lid and stared down at the clean, blindingly white piano keys before placing her long fingers on them.

She was unsure what to play, and eventually settled on 'Hello' by Evanescence. It was a sad song, but Angel loved the lyrics and the music.

Soon, her fingers were flying over the piano, playing the sad melody beautifully as she hummed along, eventually starting to sing quietly as was her habit.

Once the piece was over, a sense of nostalgia and sadness descended upon her, but she embraced it rather than push it away.

It didn't really matter that her life was still really messed up. Because for now, in this room, Angel felt at peace.

* * *

So yea, relatively happy ending to this chapter ^^. Oh, I almost forgot to say that I was thinking of making a sequel to this fan fiction once it's over. I find that I've become really attached to this storyline XD. I'll also be making a special edition cross over… With YJ and Angel in it. More info to come later ;).


	30. Chapter 30 Ready

OMG CHAPTER THIRTY IT'S A MIRACLE! Lol, sorry XD.

Airmage, don't worry, the kiss comes soon! How soon is soon? You'll just have to find out. And don't worry, I never read the comics either, but I really want to now XD.

OuterSpaceAngel, thanks, that means a lot!

The February Rose, thank you! A trick to getting reviews is updating often, so that your story is often near the top of the list where people can see it. Because I live in a different time zone, often when I post something it's in the middle of the night for others, so they see it if they happen to go on before school. Or something. It's just a theory XD.

* * *

The next few nights passed without incident, and Angel started to slip back into her life before the nightmares.

She still avoided Robin, but it was mostly because of the embarrassing scene they both went through days before and constantly blushed if someone mentioned him.

But besides that, everything was as it should have been. She played piano, flew, studied, trained, read, wrote and went on missions. Now that she was back in shape, she was often sent on missions and began to relish the adrenalin of a fight, the ease in which she took down her enemies.

She wasn't battle hungry, far from it. But she was glad that she could make a difference, happy that she could help people.

And so the next four days passed in a rush, Angel becoming more advanced in the art of being a superhero every time she put on her mask.

Even Batman was impressed by the results. She had overheard him talking to Shayera when she wanted to ask her if they could have a flight session.

"She could still use work," He had said. "But I think she'll be ready to go on some of the bigger missions soon."

Gratified, Angel had quietly crept back to her room to wait out Batman's stay.

But when she wasn't doing her usual routines, she was helping Nightwing figure out who and where Grim Reaper was. So far, the biggest clue they had was the court room Angel always started out in, the one she had first gone to in the first nightmare.

"It's where we need to start. If we figure out where it is, we find him." They both said, over and over.

But no matter what they said, they just couldn't figure out anything further than that. Angel searched her mind over and over again for some sort of clue to where Grim Reaper and Jack were, with no luck.

But as she was practicing to shield her mind with M'gann, an idea hit her like a lightning bolt.

"Of course!" She gasped, jumping to her feet.

"What?" Miss Martian said in alarm.

"I've just realized how _stupid _I've been!" Angel exclaimed before turning on her heel and running out of the room.

Once she had enough space, she opened her wings and took a leap, now able to navigate easily through small places.

As she hurtled through the hallways, she mentally hit face-palmed herself.

_It was so obvious! How could I have not thought of it before?_

In her haste, she almost knocked into an unsuspecting Robin.

Letting out a yelp, she desperately tried to angle herself so that she wouldn't clip him with one of her wings and managed to yell out "Sorry!" before continuing on her way.

She hoped that she hadn't hit him, but she couldn't be too sure and flushed about the thought of having to face him again.

By now, Angel had almost arrived at the main cave, her hair whipping across her face thanks to the speed at which she was flying.

She barely slowed down once she burst into the cave and instead veered upward to lose her momentum up there. She then quickly headed for the floor again to face a shocked Nightwing.

"May I ask why you were flying through the hall at high speed?" He asked carefully as Angel caught her breath.

Once she had calmed down enough, she managed to gasp out. "I… Know how… To find out… Where Grim Reaper… And Rogue… Are!"

Nightwing seemed surprised and interested at the same time. "How on Earth…"

"It's obvious!" She cut him off. "I have to let him into my mind again!"

* * *

"Are you sure?" Nightwing asked for the fifth time.

Angel nodded her head. "Yes. If he comes in again, I can pretend that I'll join him. Then, he'll obviously tell me to rendezvous somewhere, and all you guys need to do is come with me to track him!"

Nightwing was partially hopeful, partially doubtful.

If the plan did work, they would manage to capture to villains at the same time and ensure safety for Angel. But if it didn't…

"Trust me!" She begged.

Nightwing sighed. "Alright, fine. But I'm sending in M'gann if you end up having too much trouble."

Angel let out a sigh of relief. It would all be over soon.

As she lay down on her bed, M'gann hovering next to her in case something went wrong, Angel felt the first hint of doubt.

But she pushed the emotion away, confidence filling her. It would work. It had too.

After a few minutes, she sank into sleep.

* * *

"You have returned." Grim Reaper didn't sound surprised. More… Smug.

_Idiot. _Angel thought scornfully.

"I knew you would, after some time. Have you rethought my proposition?"

Angel feigned taking in a deep breath, and put an uncertain expression on her face. "Yes. I want-need- to keep my friends safe. And as far as I can see, this is the only way."

Grim Reaper nodded. "Very well. I would just like to mention if you fail to follow my orders, all your friends will be eliminated."

Another twinge of doubt wormed its way into Angel's stomach, but she tried to quell it.

"I'll do anything." She said, not faking this time.

Grim Reaper didn't do anything for a moment before nodding his head. "Very well. Go to the 39th Pier at San Francisco, California, tomorrow night at 8:00 pm exactly. Rogue and I will be waiting for you. Failure to arrive at the appropriate time will result in the deaths of your friends. Same goes for if you try any funny business."

Angel felt a tide of relief. Everything would be alright.

"Since you have finally relented, I will give you the rest of the night." As Grim Reaper said these words, shadows crept forward until they engulfed him, leaving Angel alone in the courtroom. And eventually, even that disappeared until Angel was left standing in darkness.

* * *

Angel fought unconsciousness as her eyelids slid open to reveal M'gann and Nightwing both peering at her.

A large grin spread over her face as she sat up and she said simply, "Pier 39, San Francisco."

Nightwing smiled with relief, as M'gann let out a sigh.

The pieces of her puzzle were falling into place again. All she had to do was complete it.

* * *

The following afternoon, Superboy, Nightwing, Artemis, Kid Flash and Bluejay got ready to go to California, all of them mindful of what Grim Reaper had said.

Meet the deadline or your friends die.

Bluejay suppressed a shudder, but she couldn't keep her feathers from ruffling. No matter how many times she told herself it was going to be alright, she still felt a shiver of fear as she thought of Grim Reaper's words.

But it would end tonight.

And that was all that mattered.

"Ready to go?" Wally asked as he passed her on his way to the bioship.

She smiled, hoping it wouldn't betray her unease.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She replied.

* * *

Ooooo, suspense! Don't worry, the next chapter is gonna be action-packed! :D


	31. Chapter 31 Terror

Ok, so I won't be able to post any chapters until the weekend *sad face*. Buuuut, they'll be nice and thick, and full of Bluebird! But just to let you guys know, I feel extra bad because I left this chapter on a cliff-hanger XD.

KitsuNova, your questions will be answered… But you have to wait *mischievous grin*.

The February Rose, I'm glad that you've been enjoying it so much ^^.

Airmage, don't worry, the kiss comes very, very soon. Say, in the next two or maybe three chapters :D.

Sticker55, what indeed?

OuterSpaceAngel, thank you!

* * *

Once they had reached San Francisco, Bluejay separated herself from the rest of the group. If she showed up with the rest of her Team members, Rogue and Grim Reaper would most obviously hightail it out of there as soon as they saw them.

So because of this, Bluejay flew to Pier 39 alone, trying to regain her confidence, which she had lost on the ride in the bioship.

Flying closer to the bay, she arced downward until she was just above the water, which glimmered with stars and the lights from the city, though they were far off. It reminded her of the night when she made up with Robin and she took strength in the comforting memory.

As she thought this, her left wing tipped downwards a bit more, though Bluejay didn't notice it when she felt a shiver of cold come from the very tip of her wing.

Startled, she looked at her wing, only to feel relieved as she saw it was simply one of her longer feathers dipping into the bay.

She straightened herself, skimming the surface of the still water as she flew towards her destination.

_34… 35… 36… 37…_

Angel started to count the piers as she passed them, from time spotting the back of a seal in the moonlight night.

"Pier 39." She murmured, angling her wings so she would be vertical to the bay once again.

She gently alighted on the rough stone and started to walk towards the edge of the cement, the waves crashing gently against the obstruction. She waited silently, unsure of what time it was but certain that she wasn't late.

She couldn't be late.

"Bluejay?" Nightwing said through her earpiece, causing to have Angel let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm here."She responded.

"Its three minutes until 8:00."The hero warned. "We'll be nearby for when they come."

"Alright."Bluejay answered.

The seconds seemed agonizingly long, the gentle, salty breeze rustling her feathers softly as she stood stock still.

In the darkness and quiet, Bluejay's senses were heightened, but she thought it was mostly because of her nerves.

The only light came from the city behind her and the stars above, the moon a thin crescent in the dark sky. The air smelled of sea salt and fresh seaweed, while Bluejay felt that if anything, even the lightest of touches brushed her, she would jump ten feet into the air.

The fear started to creep in, but from time to time she would spot a flash of green, or a streak of yellow and she would be comforted, reminding herself that her friends were here with her.

After what seemed like an eternity, something finally happened.

It was a small buzzing at first, but it gradually became a dull roar. Bluejay looked around, still not seeing anything until a shadow, darker then the night had been before, fell upon her.

She looked up in shock. Hovering over her was some kind of mix between a helicopter and a plane; almost like the bioship, except she could see the dull flicker of flames from an engine and this ship was much less streamlined, as well as being a dull gray.

A large hatch opened near the bottom, until it was at an angle. Bluejay could see bright light from the entrance, but a shadow partially blotted it out.

She squinted, only able to recognize the being when it stepped forward, out of the light.

Jack stepped out, in full Rogue gear, including the mask and some sort of staff hanging at his belt, which she guessed to be his shape-shifting weapon.

Despite this, Angel could see his blue eyes glimmer behind the meshing, and her heart twisted slightly.

But she had to put it behind. She had to, unless she wanted her family to die.

Jack reached his hand out, his eyes soft and welcoming behind the mask.

"He's waiting for you inside." He said softly, his blue eyes never leaving Angel's emerald ones.

She hesitated. Where were the others?

"Come on, you have to come." Jack said, more insistently, though there was a slight edge of fear in his voice.

Bluejay swallowed hard. What should she do? Go forward, and hope that the others would arrive to kick his butt, or feign reluctance to buy herself more time?

She didn't know what to do.

But as she hesitated, she saw a flash of yellow out of the corner of her eye.

Jack saw it too, and turned to look, but it was too late. A gloved fist smashed into his stomach, and he groaned, though didn't crumple.

KF skidded to a halt beside Bluejay.

"You know, girls really hate it when guys stalk their dreams." He commented, earning him a wry smile from Angel.

Jack looked up, but though Bluejay had expected to see disbelief in his eyes, she saw panic instead.

"What are you doing?" He yelled. "He'll hurt them if you don't join! He'll hurt _you_!"

Angel almost stepped forward as she heard the agony in his voice, fear cracking it.

But an arrow came whistling out of nowhere, landing at Jack's feet. There was a loud boom, and yellow smoke emerged from the arrowhead.

Stunned by the sound, Jack reeled back, though the smoke seemed ineffective against him.

Artemis loped out of nowhere and flanked Angel's left side.

"Damn!" She swore. "I should have known that that mask of his would keep any type of gas out!"

By now, Jack had recovered and reached for the staff at his side. In his hand, it turned into a gleaming rapier, though from Bluejay's point of view, it seemed rather dull.

"I'm sorry, Angel." He said, his eyes darting from Kid to Artemis and back again. "I didn't want to do this, since I know how much your friends mean to you now. But it's the only way."

He launched himself forward, rapier in his hand, straight at Artemis. But something –some_one_- hurtled out of nowhere and knocked into the adolescent.

Jack let out a grunt and almost fell, but righted himself in time. He turned to glare at his new opponent, a tall sixteen year old with blue eyes, black hair, super strength and a seriously bad temper.

"No one hurts my friends." Superboy ground out before punching Jack in the face. The metal didn't dent, but Jack was sent hurtling back, and ended up crashing into one of the buildings nearby.

"True that." A cheery voice said, causing Bluejay to turn and spot Nightwing, twirling his eskrima sticks expertly as he stepped towards the others.

Jack was holding his head and groaned when Superboy lifted him easily with one hand. But when his head lifted, his eyes were blazing.

"Big mistake." He growled, before his rapier changed into something smaller, but far more deadly to the Boy of Steel.

Connor let out a cry of pain and fell to his knees as Jack held out the kryptonite.

Wally was at his side in an instant, but a voice came purring out of the darkness.

"Now, now, that's not how we play… Five against one isn't fair, is it?" Bluejay felt her heart darken as Cheshire stepped out of the shadows, sais held in both hands.

"Jade?" Artemis said, though it was mostly disappointment rather than shock.

Without looking at the archer, the villainess said easily, "Hey sis. Sorry to crash the party, but a little bird told me that I should come here."

"How did you get away from the League?" Wally spluttered in shock.

Cheshire shrugged. "Same as I always do. Disappeared."

"And let us out too." Black Spider stepped forward, following by the recognizable mass that was Clayface.

Bluejay saw Nightwing frowned. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen.

In the next moment, Cheshire launched herself at the blue and black hero while Clayface reached out a goopy hand towards Artemis and grabbed her around the waist.

Wally let out a cry of rage, and was about to race to her side, but a stringy red spider web was thrown at him, sending him tumbling onto the asphalt.

Angel opened her wings, ready to fly at Jack, but she felt a cold hand wrap around her arm. Glancing downward, she saw a hand that was little more than skeleton, skin stretched over the bone like a corpse that was not yet dead.

With a cry, she stumbled backwards, pulled off balance by a sharp jerk.

"Did you really think I was that stupid?" A familiar voice hissed in her ear.

Goosebumps covered her skin as horror coursed through her. _Not how things were supposed to be…_

Grim Reaper tightened his grip around her arm while his other clamped on her left wing.

Bluejay let out another cry, this time of pain as she felt a sharp bolt of agony race through her.

Nightwing looked away from Cheshire as he battled her, his face expressing his shock. As his eyes lay on Angel and the Grim Reaper tugging her towards the ship from behind, his face darkened, and he gave another blow to Cheshire before sprinting towards the two.

But Cheshire wasn't down and quickly threw her sai, the weapon spinning blade over handle until the hilt knocked into Nightwing's head. He faltered, the blow stunning him, and not quick enough to evade the villainess as she started to fight him again.

"I read your mind while we were meeting." Grim Reaper growled. "It was easy to see what you were really planning."

Angel tried to fight the panic that was spreading through her. She had failed.

_No! _She told herself firmly. _Not yet!_

And with a skill even she didn't know she had, she moved her free wing, the strong limb slapping against Grim Reaper's body and pushing him off her.

The moment she was free Angel whipped around, her hands grabbing her daggers as she flew at the person who had caused her so much pain.

Grim Reaper started to get up, but with a wild cry, Bluejay pushed him down again with a strong blast of freezing cold wind.

She had almost reached him, ready to deliver a sharp blow to the skull with the hilt of one of her daggers, when she felt a piercing agony in her head.

The strength of the pain stopped her in her tracks, and her daggers clattered to the floor as she lifted her hands to cover her head in a feeble attempt to protect herself from the mental attack that was being launched at her.

She tried to summon up barriers, panic temporarily strengthening her. For a moment, the agony stopped.

But then it came back again in the form of a raging tidal wave, breaking down her every defense and sweeping into the farthest corners of her mind.

Every single memory she had ever had flashed brighter than the pain, though the agony was still making her feel as if her skull was splitting open.

_Laughing in delight as her father swing her around when she was two years old._

_Crying as she was pulled away from her mother on her first day of school._

_The sense of triumph that had flowed through her when she finally managed to ride her bike without training wheels._

_Nervousness as she performed at her first concert, only to be reassured by the thundering applause that met her when she took her bow._

_All the fights with her brother and sister, other small, petty things._

_The agony that had ripped through her when Jack had left._

_Her fear when Cheshire had shown up in her room to take her to Cadmus that fateful night._

_Waking up to see Nightwing for the first time._

_The pain when she had learned her whole family was dead._

_Wonderment when she first saw her wings._

_The incredible feeling that had gone through her on her first flight._

_Feeling content as she played a four-hand with Robin._

_That almost kiss, so sharp in her mind…_

Over and over, reeling through her head.

She didn't realize she was curled up in a fetal position on the cold stone until Grim Reaper jerked her to her feet, the pain making her unable to stay up.

She only had the strength to crack her eyes open slightly. Everyone seemed so far away…

With a jolt of realization that temporarily over-powered her agony, she realized that this was because she _was _far away from them. The light was getting brighter as well, and just as soon as it had appeared, the agony and memories vanished.

She was being pulled onto the ship! A feeling of terror washed over her, and she let out a shout, hoping to attract the attention of someone, anyone.

All of the heroes turned, and their eyes widened in shock and horror as they saw Angel, dragged by Grim Reaper.

Nightwing was the first to react. Abandoning his fight with Cheshire, he ran at full sprint, at a speed that would have impressed even the Flash.

But he was still too far. He could only watch, helpless, as he tried to reach her. By now, Wally was also in action, but the ramp was already lifting.

The last thing she saw was their faces, full of horror as the ramp closed, leaving her surrounded in light.

* * *

Oh, I enjoyed this chapter WAAAAAY too much XD. Now you guys have to wait until the weekend… I'm so evil XD.


	32. Chapter 32 Search

The February Rose, I know, it's just one of those awesome things about me XD.

Airmage, yes, she got kidnapped again… *uses best announcer voice* What will happen?

Maros-sad-song, guess you'll just have to find out XD.

OuterSpaceAngel, heh, well now you know ^^.

tdyn0, but I like being evil! *sad face*

STicker55, yep, she did. I really like having her get kidnapped lol!

Fairfarren-Silvermist Fawn, thank you, that really means a lot ^^.

* * *

"You _what_?" Robin's face was ashen, his blue eyes wide behind his domino mask.

Nightwing felt a wrench of guilt and repeated what he had just said. "She was taken. Again."

Robin looked horrified.

"No, no, no!" He said hysterically, his hands coming up to grab at his hair in frustration. "She can't be gone!"

The rest of the squad looked subdued, their heads hanging and their eyes filled with guilt.

_My fault… _The words had been echoing around Nightwing's head ever since they lost track of the hovercraft that had carried away Angel, Grim Reaper, and apparently Rogue. The latter had disappeared, taking advantage of the chaos that ensued the loss of Bluejay.

"Why didn't you go after her?" Robin demanded. "Didn't you put a tracker on her or something?"

"We did." Nightwing said slowly. "Just in case the plan went awry. But she's disappeared from the maps."

"What do you mean?" The Boy Wonder asked.

"Her signal stopped about an hour after we lost sight of the ship." Dick said hesitantly.

Robin stared at him in disbelief. "And you didn't think to continue in the general direction?"

Nightwing hesitated again, his shaggy hair falling onto his mask.

"What kind of tracker was it?" Robin asked quietly, though his voice shook.

Nightwing didn't say anything, but his clenching fists told Tim everything he needed to know.

"It was implanted, wasn't it?" He said hoarsely. "It keeps track of the person's heartbeat and vital signals as well as a way to find them should they get lost. We all have one."

Nightwing still refused to say anything, but everything in him was screaming at him to lie, to protect the boy he considered his younger brother.

All of a sudden, Robin snapped.

"Tell me, Grayson!" He yelled at Nightwing. "Tell me the truth!"

The older hero flinched, but it was more at the hurt and horror in Tim's words rather than the use of his real name in front of the others.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, low enough for only the boy in front of him to hear.

Robin's fire left him, and he fell to his knees, eyes gazing unseeingly before him.

"You have to be wrong." He whispered, his voice shaking. "She can't be gone."

Nightwing stepped forward and placed his hand on Tim's shoulder.

The boy didn't react, his body slack as he stared ahead, his mind trying to come up with a rational explanation. Anything other than facing the fact that Angel was dead.

* * *

Angel's mind was blank. No, not blank. She could still think. But there was a strange, detached feeling that hung over her, as if her brain was disconnected from her body.

There was no pain. In fact, she couldn't feel anything. There were the emotions of course, the fear at what would happen to her friends, to her, and the utter confusion about what was going on.

But it felt as if her five senses were cut off. She couldn't tell whether she was tied up or not, nor smell anything to give any clue to if she was in a hospital or a zoo. She didn't even know if her eyes were open or not, but she couldn't see anything. And the silence. It pressed down upon her ears, causing an empty feeling of despair to go through her.

Was she dead? Was she too late?

Angel tried to fight against what was happening to her, but it was like trying to fight mist. There was no purchase, no hold to grab onto. Almost as if it didn't exist.

The panic started to set in, and her thoughts turned frantic. How much time had passed since the Grim Reaper had dragged her into the ship? Minutes, hours, days? Maybe even years?

She started to feel claustrophobic, though she wasn't sure how, fear bubbling up inside her. What it had been centuries? If she ever awoke, she might find her friends already dead!

Angel felt like screaming, but to her, it was as if there was no mouth to open, no air to create a shriek from.

No, she was sure she wasn't dead. But whatever was happening to her, it sure would have been a better option.

* * *

Tim was still in the exact same position when the others finally left. Nightwing had stayed the longest, and had tried several times to coax Robin to go home, to let him grieve while he slept.

But he remained unresponsive.

Uncertain to what he should do, Dick finally picked the boy up and carried him to the Zeta Tubes, like he had used to when Tim was still a young boy.

Robin didn't protest, but his expression flickered to gratitude for a moment, before the feeling of loss washed over him again and he sank back into his mind, subconsciously trying to delay the pain, trying to keep the shock up so that he wouldn't have to face the full extent of the grief just yet.

Nightwing didn't say anything; just quietly put him down in his bed then went to tell Batman what had occurred.

The young hero didn't meet his old mentor's eyes as he told him about Angel's loss.

But in a surprising gesture of affection, the Dark Knight put his hand on Dick's shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault." He said gravely. "You all knew the risks, including Bluejay."

Nightwing was silent for a moment.

"I just don't get it, though." He said finally, confusion entering his voice. "Why would they… _Kill_ her?"

Batman pondered this for a moment. But his next words shocked Dick, so incredible were they.

"Maybe she's not dead."

* * *

Once Nightwing left, Tim managed to rouse himself out of his stupor long enough to change into his pajamas and crawl back into his bed.

By now, the shock was fading, and the pain became fresh once again. But after a few moments of staring blankly at the white wall, he heard the murmur of voices.

Getting out of his bed as quietly as possible, the Boy Wonder crept towards his door and pressed his ear against it.

Still too quiet to distinguish words.

He opened the door a crack and slipped out into the long hallway. The words were becoming easier to recognize, but he could still only hear snatches.

"Is she-"

"It might be hard to-"

"Alive?"

Tim froze for a moment, but started to walk faster, sticking to the shadows.

"Think about it Dick. Why would they go through all this trouble, just to kill her?" Bruce said clearly.

Tim winced a little, but soon found a small cranny next to a bookcase and managed to squeeze himself in before listening intently.

"I know, but her vital signs have all just… Stopped."

"So? It's happened before to the League that we couldn't pick up their vital signs, yet they were still alive and managed to be rescued."

Robin was stunned for a moment before a sudden feeling of hope flared inside him. Was Batman right? Could Angel be alive?

The relief almost hurt, but it was partially because they were still unsure about it.

He knew that if he was wrong, it was possible that he could shatter. But it was all he had.

Quiet, and as swift as a passing shadow, Tim stood up and crept back to his room.

He got back into bed, but he didn't try to sleep. That was the last thing he wanted. Because in his mind, a plan was forming.

He wasn't sure whether it would work, but he had to try.

* * *

At around 1 o'clock in the morning, Tim finally put the first step of his plan into action.

As silently as he could, he dressed himself in his usual Robin costume and opened the door before poking his head out.

No one was there.

He knew that by the morning, Bruce would have reviewed the security cameras and sent the rest of the Team after him, so he had to take advantage of the few hours he had.

In a few moments, he was by the clock that led to the Batcave and went into its dark depths. There was a faint glow from the main computer, and he raced over to it.

Glancing over his shoulder, Robin started to type. He knew that Batman had information on every Team member's trackers, so that should have included Angel's as well.

He had soon bypassed the securities Bruce had put up to prevent him and Nightwing from accessing this kind of stuff, though they always hacked it anyway, and started to look through the long list of trackers placed on humans and aliens alike.

There were dozens of sub-categories, varying from the original seven Justice Leaguers to numerous villains the Batman had taken down.

But after a few minutes of searching, he finally found what he had been looking for. His blue eyes quickly scanned down the list of Team members behind his mask, resting finally on Angel's.

He clicked it, and got what Nightwing had been suspecting; no vital signs whatsoever. There was lurching feeling in his chest, but he ignored it and looked through all recent activity.

The last record of her heartbeat had been about 8 hours ago, when she had presumably been kidnapped by Grim Reaper and Rogue. Her heart had been going haywire, probably with fear, but in the next second, it just stopped.

Tim felt a small surge of triumph. All deaths, even those that included poisoning or supposed death on impact, had at least a few seconds of a stuttering heartbeat trying to work before it failed, causing the death of the subject.

The fact that Angel's had just stopped without any indication of injury, infection, poison or just a second of hesitating heartbeats could have meant that she wasn't dead. The most obvious options would be that they had somehow managed to keep the tracker from transmitting signals or even taken it out. But there was a last option.

Robin knew as well as any other superhero that there were quite a few ways to use magic to do incredible things. He didn't know if there were any accounts of this type of situation, but it was worth a shot.

And he knew exactly who to go to.

* * *

So, did I make you guys think she was dead? Just for a teensy little moment?


	33. Chapter 33 Magic

Ok, yeah, maybe it was a bit obvious that she wasn't dead XD.

The February Rose, true that XD.

OuterSpaceAngel, yeah, I'm pretty sure Robin would have been really, really depressed… But thankfully, she is not dead (fully), and you'll see why :D.

Fairfarren-Silvermist Fawn, thanks!

* * *

Robin took in a deep breath as he left the shadows he had been hiding in and walked towards the large empty field in the middle of town.

It seemed as if someone had decided to just leave a patch of bare grass, thinking about turning into a park, but soon gave up hopes of doing so and left it.

But Tim knew what was really hidden there.

Almost as if he was blind, he lifted his hand up as he walked forward, his fingers groping for something invisible. All of a sudden he stopped as his hand came into contact with something rough and hard.

Normally, he would have walked right through it, but he had informed his 'accomplice' ahead of time that he was coming to talk to him. The magician had readily agreed, and told him to wait there until the door opened.

He didn't have to wait long.

A glimmer of golden light appeared, seemingly out of nowhere before a giant, brick building materialized.

Robin wasn't surprised and instead strode towards the door that had appeared along with the rest of the building. A golden key was in it, and he gave it a half turn before opening the door and stepping in.

The door closed with a snap behind him, but Robin was more preoccupied by what was before him.

A man, dressed in blue pants and shirt with a gold belt, boots and chest plate appeared, his cape swirling around him while green eyes behind a gold helm glittered.

"Doctor Fate." Robin greeted.

"Greetings, Robin." The low, powerful combined voices of Nabu and Zatara said in return.

"I came here for information." Tim informed him, but before he could continue, Fate answered him.

"I know; come, we shall speak in the main room." Levitating off the ground, Nabu turned and started his way towards an apparently seamless wall.

Robin, unsure of what else to do, followed him, soft boots still sounding loud against the spotless wood floor.

A crack suddenly appeared in wall, and opened to reveal a dark doorway. Doctor Fate entered it without a backwards glance, obviously thinking that Robin would follow him.

He complied, staying behind Nabu as they entered another room. It was relatively large, with a huge fireplace against one of the walls, a fire crackling within it.

Sofas surrounded a wooden coffee table, while a large, elegant rug covered most of the area. Despite this, Robin found the room… Cheerless.

Doctor Fate settled down in one of the chairs and gestured Robin to do the same.

Tim sat down reluctantly, the springs in the chair squeaking slightly under his light weight.

"Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Fate said, his green eyes staring at him unflinchingly.

"I wanted to know if it was possible to use sorcery to…" Robin hesitated. "Stop someone's vital signs without actually killing them."

Nabu's, or more accurately, Zatara's, eyes showed no indication of shock or surprise. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes creasing somewhat in what Robin thought was a frown.

"Yes. It is possible." The sorcerer said finally, though there was no hint of doubt or hesitation in his voice. "But it requires an extremely powerful magician to achieve such a feat. I or any other Lord of Order should be able to do so. Same goes for a Lord of Chaos."

Fate's eyes darkened somewhat at the last part, and Robin felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. He had a sudden feeling that, if Nabu wanted to, he could probably crush anyone that came into his path. But just as soon as it had appeared, the anger dissipated and Fate's eyes were as calm and cold as ever.

"Why do you ask?" He said, directing the conversation from 'chaos'.

"A… Friend of mine was kidnapped. Angel Devine. Her tracker stopped relaying vital signs, but I have reason to believe she wasn't actually killed. Well, not fully anyway." Robin answered.

Nabu nodded slowly. "Very well. The process sounds simple, though tremendous power is required. The magician simply has to sever the soul, or mind, depending on what it's being used for, from the subject's."

"What happens to the soul?" Tim asked immediately.

Doctor Fate shrugged. "It depends. Sometimes, the soul is transferred to an inanimate object for safe-keeping. Other times, it can be destroyed."

Robin flinched at those words.

"But it is also possible to be contained by magic. The sorcerer can use it for different purposes. If the mind is what has been taken, he can assert power over it, and then put it in another body as means of mind control. If the soul belonged to a host with great magical power, it can be taken into the magician's soul, augmenting their own power, provided that they can control it. Same goes for the mind, although it would be a lot more difficult to control. Or, it can simply be a means of incapacitating an enemy."

Robin frowned. "Then why would all her vital signs stop?"

"It is important to realize that a body needs a soul and a mind to function. If either is separated, the body is merely a corpse that cannot function properly. Sometimes, but very rarely, if it is only the mind that is separated from a very strong soul and body, the corpse can continue to function, though the soul would have no link with it and the person in question would apparently remain in a catatonic state for the rest of their lives, unless the mind is returned to them." Fate answered.

Robin's hands clenched, digging into the arms of the chair he was sitting on.

"Is there any way for someone who's… Not magical to return the soul to her body?" He asked.

Nabu shook his head.

A wave of despair crashed through Robin. How was he going to get her back safely?

For a moment, Fate seemed to be a little distracted, his green eyes gleaming with an indescribable expression. There were a few moments of silence, Robin despairing and Nabu apparently thinking.

Eventually though, Doctor Fate said something more than surprising.

"I know that you are troubled." Fate said without a hint of sympathy. "And I will help you."

Robin looked at him, shocked. It had never occurred to him to ask the cold Lord of Order to help him. But now that he thought about it, it seemed practical. Doctor Fate had always been considered one of the most powerful sorcerers on the planet, and now that his host was Zatara, he was even more powerful.

"You'll help me?" He asked, repeating what the magician had said.

"Zatara is requesting me to do so. And we both have a feeling a Lord of Chaos is mixed in this. So yes, I shall." Fate responded, his voice holding a tinge of disgust at the word 'chaos'.

* * *

Robin was striding behind Doctor Fate as the sorcerer floated through the hallways of his home, eventually coming to a stop in front of the main door.

He waved his hand, and the door opened without a creak before he continued on into the moonlight.

Tim followed, glancing around to see if anyone had suddenly popped out of nowhere and started staring at them. But no one was there.

"Where are you going?" He asked as he walked a little faster to be beside the sorcerer. "You're not actually going to walk, are you?"

"No." Fate replied.

"Then what are we doing?" Robin queried.

"I will transport us to the designated location where the Devine girl was last tracked, but we must get far enough away from the Tower of Fate, since the strong magic energy that flows off it can get us temporarily trapped in another dimension." Nabu answered.

After Robin gave him an incredulous look, the sorcerer clarified his meaning.

"I was once stuck in a parallel universe for 6 months after trying to travel to a different location inside the Tower."

"Oh." Robin said meekly.

"This will do." Fate said, suddenly coming to a halt.

"Give me the _precise_ coordinates." He reminded Robin.

Barely having to open up his holographic computer, he rattled off the latitude and longitude of where Angel last was.

He thought he saw one of Fate's eyes widen slightly, and he had sudden feeling that the sorcerer was raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'm worried about her okay?" He said defensively.

He thought he heard a low chuckle come from the sorcerer, but it was so quiet he thought he imagined it.

"Pennsylvania it is then." Fate said before lifting his hands up.

There was a flash of blinding light, and Robin had to blink several times, despite the fact he had his mask on.

He and Nabu were standing on a hilltop, which was surrounded by densely packed trees. He could see the sparkle of city lights in the distance and remembered they were near Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania.

As he took in the view, Doctor Fate had already started moving. His hands pressed against his helmet as he floated around, green eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Here." He said finally.

"Here what?" Robin asked, walking over to where he was.

"I am detecting a strong level of mystical power from this precise location." Fate said, one of his hands gesturing at the ground before lifting up to his helmet once again.

Robin crouched onto the ground, his hand probing the earth as he examined it. There were no visual clues to the Doctor's theory, but then again, he didn't know a lot about magic.

"They went this way." Fate indicated, pointing towards the city.

"How can you tell?" Robin asked curiously.

"All types of magic leave a trace. After it's been used, magic will have a sort of… Trail until the magic in question wears off. To any magician or Lord of Chaos, it is like following a scent." Nabu said.

Robin nodded in comprehension.

"Follow me." Fate started in the direction of where he had pointed, leaving Robin to follow from behind, his black cape flapping slightly in the strong breeze.

* * *

About two hours later, Robin was exhausted. Fate had told him about 15 minutes ago that the trail was becoming stronger, which had temporarily lifted his spirits up. But by now, it had been ages since they had passed Philadelphia, and Robin's hopes were beginning to dampen.

They trudged –well, Robin trudged while Fate floated- through the forest, the green leaves turned silver by the faint moonlight. It wouldn't be long before the sun came up.

Robin felt a small shudder as he remembered that Batman would probably come back from his nightly patrol, which meant that his disappearance would seen be noticed.

He didn't notice Fate had stopped until he bumped into the sorcerer. He drew back quickly, but Nabu was intent on what was before them.

"We have arrived." He said quietly.

Robin looked around him, blue eyes widening as he spotted a large type of floating ship, engines humming softly as it remained floating off the ground.

"That is one heck of a headquarters." He mumbled under his breath, already scanning the ship for possible entry points.

"Indeed." Fate said, his green eyes staring at the ship. After a few heartbeats, he let out a low, feral hiss that startled Robin.

"Klarion is within the ship." He snarled quietly, eyes flashing dangerously.

"He must be the one who extracted Angel's soul –or mind- from her body." Robin breathed quietly, his own eyes fixing on the ship.

"Yes." Fate answered. "I should have known, though."

"Well, looks like it's time for us both to kick some butt." Robin pointed out.

Nabu turned to look at him, and Tim though he saw a faint hint of humor in his green eyes.

"Indeed."

* * *

Whew, that was a seriously annoying chapter XD. Just to let you guys know, all the stuff Fate said about tracking magic and extracting minds and souls, are NOT part of the DC Universe. I made it up to suit my purposes ;D. And it was seriously hard to make it so that the only emotion relayed through Nabu was from his eyes and voice. Several times I caught myself writing 'frown' and I was just like; 'No, wait his face is hidden by the helmet!' XD. Enjoy!


	34. Chapter 34 Rescue

OuterSpaceAngel, well you find out in this chapter!

Fairfarren-Silvermist Fawn, I know right?

Airmage, you may THINK you know, but you DON'T! *evil grin* Don't worry, very, very close now. And don't worry, I won't do anything TO extreme lol.

The February Rose, well, you can certainly help Timmy do it XD.

* * *

The ship was seamless. Utterly, annoyingly seamless, except for the main entrance.

Robin and Doctor Fate searched the ship for about half an hour before the sorcerer finally suggested that he magic them in.

At Tim's extremely annoyed and exasperated look, Nabu shrugged and said that a natural way into the ship would have been better, as if he sent them in by magic, it was possible that they landed right in front of Grim Reaper or Rogue.

Robin grunted, and let it pass. Fighting wouldn't do anything.

After Fate had muttered a few words in his two-tone voice, there was a flash of golden light and they found themselves in a narrow, metal hallway that was lit by a dim turquoise glow.

The Boy Wonder let out a low whistle and started down the hallway quietly.

"Sense anything?" He whispered to Nabu.

The sorcerer nodded slowly. "There is a powerful aura of magic in that direction." He pointed to their right, the opposite direction of where Robin had been headed.

Tim felt another twinge of annoyance, but pushed it aside and followed the Doctor.

A large, metal door was at the end, and seeing it caused a small shudder to go down Robin's back. He knew Angel was beyond it.

Doctor Fate waved his hand and murmured a spell, causing the door to slide open silently.

They both stepped forward and froze.

A large type of pod stood in the center of the room, covered in thick glass. It was slightly misted over with frost, but Robin would have recognized the face behind it anywhere.

Angel was strapped against the back of the pod, her arms shackled above her, while her legs were held apart with clamps. Her wings were spread out, but from this angle, Tim could only see the pale grey-blue under feathers. Her face was pale and drawn, her mask missing and her green eyes covered by her lids, her lashes brushing against her cheekbones. Her body was slack and she seemed thinner since the last time he had seen her, while her sheaths were empty.

Robin started to hear a roaring in his ears as he realized that she could only be dead.

_But not beyond help! _He mentally shouted at himself.

He hadn't even realized he had stepped forward until a gloved hand clamped onto his shoulder.

"Wait. It might be a trap."

Robin yearned to wrench himself free and run towards her at full pelt, but restrained himself.

He then quickly walked to the door, apparently the only entrance and shut it before making a makeshift lock with some steel cable-rope Batman had given him. He was finished in 15 seconds flat.

Nabu's eyes widened slightly, but Robin didn't notice. Now, he was striding towards the pod in the center of the room.

He stopped right in front of it and raised his hand to the glass before wiping away the cold mist so he could see Angel better.

His breath hitched as he realized he couldn't discern any breathing movements, panic starting to rise in him before he managed to calm himself.

"Do you know where her soul is?" Robin said without turning from Angel's prone form.

"I am searching. It is definitely in the room." Nabu started to float around, his eyes narrowing. He stopped several times, uncertainty flashing through the green depths of his eyes, but he pressed on.

He stopped once again, hovering in front of the slightly round wall, which completed the spherical look of the room.

"Here." He murmured before raising his hand and pressing it against the wall. He concentrated, golden light emerging from his hand until it filled the room.

When the light finally died down, a small section of the wall had slid open.

Robin couldn't tell what it was, but it was probably important.

Fate bent forward, further blocking the Boy Wonder's view until he emerged with something glowing in his hand.

Tim had to catch his breath as he spotted the most beautiful thing he had ever seen cradled in the palm of the magician's hand.

"The witch-boy was indeed involved." Nabu said gravely. "He managed to extract both her soul _and_ her mind."

Robin turned away from Angel's body and peered carefully at what was held in the sorcerer's hand.

Surrounded by a crackling red energy in the form of a spherical cage, Angel's mind and soul were combined in the form of a swirling, silvery-blue sphere. Small wisps would escape from time to time, but the moment they came in contact with the energy barrier, there was a hissing sound before they darted back into the safety of its center.

Robin's heart twisted as he saw such a pure, beautiful thing injured, contained. A sense of wonder was there too though.

"Step aside." Fate said gently.

Robin shook himself out of his daze and complied.

Nabu stepped towards the pod that held Angel's body, while her mind and soul rested in his palms. As he watched, there was another flash of golden light and the red cage disappeared.

"We begin." He boomed.

* * *

Angel was getting bored. Oh, the panic and fear was still there of course, but sitting around doing nothing was the worst part.

Well, mentally sitting around and doing nothing.

After what felt like an eternity in darkness, however, she felt something. Not physical, but a warm, comforting presence.

She felt at peace.

She was still confused as to what was going on, but she was certain whoever was doing this was trying to help her.

A warm glow diffused through her mind, and she would have giving a sigh of contentment if she had a mouth.

But the weirdest thing was the strange jolt that came a little bit after. It was almost like having a small shock after you've rubbed a soft toy against a rough surface for too long.

But it wasn't painful. It was almost… Welcoming. She knew that the presence she had felt earlier had come through, and she felt content.

After a while though, she felt another type of shock go through her as she realized she was feeling a little cold.

None of her other senses had returned yet, but she vaguely felt the need to shiver as a cool, smooth surface came out of nowhere, pressing against her back.

Wait, back?

A sense of joy overcame her. Whatever had happened to her was finishing.

Smell came next. It was harsh, metallic, like what your fingers smelled like after you'd fingered a penny. There was also a crisp sent, like winter, and she was again reminded of the cold surface she was pressed against.

Now there were sounds. They were distorted, bouncing against her eardrums strangely like that time she had tried to talk to her friends from underwater.

But it soon became familiar, and she felt a shudder of relief pass through her as she recognized Robin's voice.

She didn't have the strength to open her eyes yet, but she felt the cold leave her back and a brief sensation of falling.

But warm arms caught her and she leaned into Robin's embrace, leaning her head on his shoulder as she realized that she was too weak to stand.

"Angel." Robin murmured in her ear, wrapping his arms even more tightly around her.

* * *

She simply leaned against him for a while, willing herself to strengthen so she could open her eyes and speak.

But as he held her, she remembered what had happened and horror washed through her. Had they managed to take her back from the Grim Reaper? But if so, why had she been strapped against a cold surface.

With what felt like a superhuman effort, she forced her eyes open. She was in a dimly lit room, for which she was grateful, but it was unfamiliar.

She released Robin, her legs still a little bit wobbly. Her wings opened to help her keep her balance and relief flooded her as she realized they hadn't done anything more to her.

There was another man in the room, covered in gold and blue clothes while wise green eyes glinted from a golden helm.

"Robin, we must leave." He said urgently as he noticed that Angel seemed to be in working condition.

The Boy Wonder nodded before asking Angel,

"Do you think you could walk if I helped you?"

She nodded. She had to get him out of here as soon as possible.

He wrapped one arm around her waist and used his other one to gently grasp Angel's hand and pull it over his shoulder.

It was slightly awkward, since Angel didn't have the strength to fold her wings, causing them to drag on the ground while her right one occasionally brushed against Robin's back. He didn't seem to mind though.

They walked towards the door, but froze as they heard a horrible screeching sound echo from the other side.

Then red sparks appeared and the door opened with a bang.

On the other side, a pale, stick-thin boy stood, pitch black hair ruffled and red eyes gleaming dangerously.

"You look prettier when you're dead." He sniggered towards Angel, causing a low growl to come from Robin.

But it was Fate who stepped forward, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Klarion!"

* * *

Oooooh, Nabu's pissed!


	35. Chapter 35 Loss Part 1

The February Rose, very true! *evil grin*

sunflower13, yay!

Airmage, I can't promise that… But do you really think I'd kill off anyone? Well, except the baddies of course. And I do have a twist ending planned…

KitsuNova, yea, you were right XD. And don't worry, Nabu is totally gonna beat Klarion up XD/

Fairfarren-Silvermist Fawn, heh, don't worry, no spoilers… And I will be writing a sequel!

* * *

Klarion smiled, but it was more similar to the grin of a hyena.

"Why, Nabu! You look even older than usual!" The witch-boy taunted, red eyes glittering with malice.

The sorcerer didn't say anything more, his green eyes turning to cold emeralds.

"Foolish child." He spat. "Do you really think Chaos would get away with this?"

Klarion seemed to think for a moment. "Hmmm. Yeah, I guess so."

Fate raised his hand. In the next second, a golden ankh made out of pure energy shot out of it and hurtled towards the lord of chaos.

Klarion raised his own hand, crackling red energy forming a barrier around him. The ankh came into contact with it with a shower of red and gold sparks.

Robin's gaze darted around. He seemed to spot something, and turned towards Angel.

"Wait here," He told her before lunging towards the wall, briefly letting go of Angel. She tottered, but didn't fall.

Robin suddenly raced back to her side and held out his hand.

Her two daggers gleamed in his palm alongside her feathered mask. She felt a pang of familiarity and gratitude as she slid the two knives into their scabbards before she put on her mask.

She looked up and spotted a cavity in the wall filled with shattered glass.

They both started as red energy bolted past them and crashed into the wall with a sizzling sound.

"Go!" Fate roared. "I shall take care of this foolish boy!"

Klarion screamed in rage, but before Angel could see what happened next, Robin had pulled her through the door.

* * *

"Which way is out?" She hissed anxiously.

"I don't know. Fate teleported us in here." Robin responded.

Angel sighed. "Guess we'll just have to look until we find a door that says exit." She joked half-heartedly.

She heard a quiet chuckle from Robin, before he started half dragging her down the hall. They came to a large metal door that was an identical to the one they had just come through.

Robin gave it a tentative push. It slid open easily.

But when they stepped inside, they just gaped in wonder. They were in a huge, circular room with a roof that arced high above their heads, very similar to the one Angel had been kept in. However, this one had no pod in the center and it was lit by a dim red glow.

Despite the impressive sight, Angel felt a shiver of foreboding go through her. This didn't feel right.

"We should go back." She whispered.

Robin nodded his head, but as they turned to leave, there was a loud clanging sound as the door slammed shut.

A scowl of uncertainty crossed the Boy Wonder's face.

"You cannot get away." Angel froze, her hair standing up on the back of her neck.

She knew that voice.

* * *

She let go of Robin and turned to face Grim Reaper. His black hood, as usual, hid his face, but she was certain he was smiling.

Robin tensed as he spotted the cloaked figure, and Angel realized he had never seen Grim Reaper before.

"Don't!" She warned, trying to control the panic in her voice as she rested her hand on his arm. "He's dangerous!"

"You think I don't know that?" He growled, shooting her a pained look. "He _hurt_ you, Angel. I can't just let him get away with that!"

Grim Reaper chuckled, though the sound was hollow. "Ah. So this is the famous Robin. Thanks to me, Angel dreamed about you often, isn't that right?"

She paled underneath her mask, skin turning white. Robin gave her a confused look, but she struggled to push away the feeling of shock and horror as she remembered seeing his broken body.

Finally, she seemed to recover.

"You'll never touch him!" She snarled, her eyes suddenly burning with green fire. "I won't let you!"

Grim Reaper laughed again, louder this time. "I am sorry, my dear, but I think I will. I wonder who I should kill first…" He trailed off.

Robin's fists clenched, and it was only Angel's hand on his arm that kept him in place.

"He's right, you know."

Angel's face twisted with rage as she spotted Rogue step out of the shadows.

"You!" She hissed.

Jack's eyes flashed with an indescribable expression, but it was just as soon gone.

"I'll gladly take the Bat's whelp." He offered Grim, his hand resting casually on the short staff hanging on his belt.

"Very well." Grim Reaper said, his hood turned towards Angel.

Robin tensed, as did Jack. They were both extremely still for a moment, and Angel heard her blood roaring in her ears.

In the next second, both boys seemed to vanish. There was a huge silence in the air, and time seemed to freeze.

But then it started to flow once again and Angel heard a horrible screeching sound. Turning towards the noise, she spotted Robin and Rogue, both of their individual weapons scraping against each other, Robin's electrical bõ staff crackling with electricity while Jack's staff had turned into the usual rapier.

Angel's momentary distraction was all that Grim Reaper needed. Without a sound, he launched himself at her.

Bluejay felt a splitting pain in her skull and raised her hands to her head in a groan of agony. But she then felt a heavy weight press against her, and she was flying.

No, not flying. Falling.

She crashed onto the metal ground, wings painfully jarred.

She sat up and spotted a birdarang partially imbedded in Grim Reaper's side. He didn't seem to feel the pain and pulled it out.

By now, Angel was on her feet, clenching her twin daggers and her wings spread wide. Grim Reaper rushed her again, but she was ready for him.

She lifted her hands up and channeled all her anger into a tight cyclone of raging wind before throwing it at him as well as adding her daggers to the mix.

The simple force of the blow knocked the cloaked figure off his feet, but he managed to escape the daggers.

With a yell of frustration and outrage, she summoned wind to carry the daggers back to her.

Her grip upon them was so tight that her knuckles were white.

"Because of you, my family was murdered. You tortured me," She growled. "Kidnapped me TWICE, experimented on me and threatened my friends!"

Grim Reaper stopped, probably in confusion.

Angel opened up her wings as wide as she could, courage and anger surging through her at the same time.

"NOBODY DOES THAT!"

With a cry of rage she launched herself at the figure before her, for once the only thing going through her mind being _kill_.

But as she hurtled forward on the force of the wind and her wings, she heard a yell. She was distracted for a mere second, her eyes turning towards the source.

She didn't see Grim Reaper reach inside his sleeve and take out a wickedly sharp and jagged dagger of his own. She didn't see him raise it, angling it perfectly so that it would pierce her heart.

All she saw was the identical expressions of horror on Jack and Robin's faces.

But she would rather have died then see what happened next.

Robin unfroze and lunged forward, his desperate cry piercing the air.

She didn't have any idea what was going on, but she still felt like screaming at him, _stay away! It's too dangerous!_

Angel had never seen him move so fast. She wished he hadn't.

Just before Grim Reaper came within stabbing reach, Robin hurtled in between the two.

Grim Reaper's momentum was too strong to stop, not that he wanted to anyway.

But Angel would always remember the whoosh of air that left Robin as the dagger plunged into him, just underneath his ribcage.

She caught him as he fell, her arms wrapping around him in an instinctual movement as horror washed through her.

No. _No._

They both fell to the floor, his head falling into her lap as she sat on her knees.

His breath came out in heaving gasps as he clenched the dagger, too weak to pull it out himself.

Angel put her own hand on his and wrenched it out, the blood spraying slightly on her costume.

"Robin." She said, her eyes filling with tears.

His chest was moving, but only just.

"No, no!" She moaned. "It's my fault, all my fault!"

She didn't know why Grim Reaper hadn't attacked yet. She didn't care. She could only watch as Robin grew paler and paler, his grip on her hand becoming weaker and weaker.

"Don't… Worry." He croaked out, a smile tugging slightly at his lips in a shot at humor. "I'll be… Okay."

The tears flowed steadily now, dripping off her nose and chin and onto his blood-spattered chest.

He wasn't going to be okay. She didn't need to be a medic to see that.

But all she could do was watch helplessly as his life started to fade away slowly.

* * *

Remember what I said earlier… So don't freak out YET.


	36. Chapter 36 Loss Part 2

And now, ladies and gentleman… The moment you've all been waiting for!

liontaming, well I am here now! *heroic pose*

The February Rose, nooo, no nightmares for you! Because; never fear, Bluejay is here!

Cosmic Mint, yea, there is just something about that very scary boy and his cat… XD. But thankfully, you won't be requiring that paper bag for much longer!

Ruler of All Sporks, he is isn't he? Lol!

OuterSpaceAngel, don't worry, you can stop freaking out now!

Airmage, yes, it is. But I CAN say that someone will die… And not just the Grim Reaper. *evil grin* And thank you!

Fairfarren-Silvermist Fawn, no, don't cry!

* * *

Bluejay was on the point of hysteria.

Robin lay before her, blood gushing from a wound she couldn't heal. She had applied pressure to it and even ripped up a bit of his cape to serve as a makeshift bandage.

To no avail.

She felt like she was drowning in a deep pool of black water, the pressure on her lungs making it hard for her to breathe normally.

He couldn't die.

She wouldn't let him.

"Listen to me, you hear?" She choked out, tears pouring down her face as she leaned closer to Robin. "You are _so _not dying on me! You can't!"

She thought she saw his mouth move slightly, but no audible sound came out.

There was a crash and Bluejay leaped around, wings and arms spread out protectively as she protected the prone body of Robin.

But what she saw shocked her.

Grim Reaper was _fighting Rogue._

At first, she had simply thought that she was mistaken, but as she looked more closely she saw how viciously they were lunging towards each other, their individual weapons gleaming in the red light.

She had no idea what to do, or what was going on.

"Foolish mortal!" Grim Reaper hissed. "I gave you everything!"

"I won't let you hurt her!" Jack yelled back at him, his voice full of contempt, shocking Angel further.

"Of course you won't. You'll be _dead_!"

Grim Reaper threw himself at Rogue, his sharp, jagged dagger glimmering.

The force threw Jack backwards, but the Grim Reaper's strength overpowered Bluejay's worry.

Rogue slammed against the wall and slumped onto the floor, eyes closing.

Content to think that he was simply unconscious, Angel took the opportunity to launch herself at Grim Reaper, her mouth open in a soundless howl of rage.

The cloaked figure was still turned towards Jack's limp body, and was unsuspecting to her attack.

Her daggers were in her hands, and she raised them in the hopes of giving a killing blow.

But at the last possible moment, Grim Reaper turned. Since she couldn't see his face, she couldn't tell what he was thinking, but it was probably shock.

Then with unbelievable speed, he shot out of the way, one of her daggers barely making a rip in his cloak.

He darted to the far side of the room, one of his hands cradling his injured arm, giving Angel a surge of satisfaction.

But she wasn't done yet. Far from it.

She lunged at him with a yell, daggers raised and wings beating.

This time, she managed to give him a good blow to the shoulder, but he didn't cry in pain.

But she noticed as he fled once again, that several drops of black liquid fell from his cuts and fell to the floor. They sizzled for a moment before disappearing.

Bluejay resisted the urge to retch. If that was his blood… Well, she didn't want to think about what he actually looked like.

But as she was distracted, Grim Reaper lunged at her.

She gave a cry and swerved to the side, but his sharp dagger had pierced her wing.

She bit her tongue in an effort to distract herself from the pain and gave the cloaked figure a roundhouse kick.

He stumbled back, his breath coming out in a quick gasp.

"You took _everything_ from me." Angel growled, fresh tears springing up in her eyes. "Now it's time for you to pay."

She threw herself into battle with every ounce of strength she had left.

She punched him, kicked him, sliced him, blew him back then started all over again.

She wasn't having fun.

But the need for vengeance burned inside her, and she knew that the only way to quench it was to kill the man before her.

From time to time, Grim Reaper would strike back, though his blows were feeble and caused Angel to scorn him inwardly.

She finally got him down as she threw wind against him before leaping onto him, dagger pressed against where his throat would be.

"Do it, then." Grim Reaper rasped.

"Kill me."

Angel froze.

Could she do it? Could she really kill this person, so weak and helpless before her?

"Hah!" Grim Reaper spat. "The great and mighty Bluejay, who cannot even kill one man!"

Angel felt rage course through her, but also despair.

He was right.

She couldn't kill him.

It happened the blink of an eye. In fact, she wasn't even sure what happened.

But one moment, she was on top of him in the prime position to inflict some serious damage, the next, _she _was the one flat on her back.

She felt stunned, as if someone had punched her in the gut. Now that she thought of it, that was probably what had happened.

Grim Reaper loomed over her, both skeletal hands clasped tightly on his dagger.

"Die!" He hissed, raising it far above his head, and Angel knew she was going to die.

She closed her eyes, tears still leaking from them.

_I'm sorry, Robin. It was my fault. All my fault._

But the blow never came.

Instead, there was a dull thumping noise, and the sound of someone choking.

Her eyes opened, them widened.

Grim Reaper was stock still above her, though his hands were trembling slightly.

As she watched, the dagger fell from his grip.

It clattered to the floor next to Bluejay, causing her to wince.

But it was him that fell next.

He didn't make a sound.

Just fell onto his side, his cloak barely making a whisper.

Horror coursed through her, and she scrambled away, feathers bristling in fear.

But he didn't move. But as she looked, she spotted a heavy spear stuck in his back.

And as she looked up, she saw where it had come from.

* * *

Jack was still moving, his mask off, his light blue eyes dull. His normally spiky and ruffled white-blond hair was practically plastered to his head, while blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

His staff was nowhere in sight.

Angel let out a whimper before getting to her feet.

"A-Angel." He croaked feebly, his eyes lighting up as he spotted her.

She walked to his side, her whole body trembling and crouched down. She knew that even if he had wanted to hurt her, he was too weak to do so.

"I-I wanted to apologize… For what I did." He said weakly, his eyes lifting to meet hers. They were pleading, and full of sorrow.

"I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to leave _you._" He continued. "But everything that he said… It sounded so amazing… So… Glamorous."

He cracked a smile, and Angel found his hand and held it tightly.

"Don't worry. I was fine. Eventually." She whispered, with a slight grimace.

Jack grinned again, but his eyes were becoming duller.

"I just wanted to tell you… Before I die."

Her hand tightened around his, but he shook his head.

"There's nothing to do Angel. I know I'm going. But before I do… I just wanted to say…"

His voice became even feebler, and Angel had to lean closer to hear him.

"I always loved you. Always will."

Angel felt more tears come, and let them pour down her face.

"I-I love you too." She said.

It was the first lie she had ever told him.

But Jack seemed to believe her. He relaxed, a content expression coming over his face. Eventually, he stopped breathing.

Angel wanted to bury her face in her hands and moan, but she couldn't afford to. Robin needed her.

_Robin._

Her gaze darted towards his prone body, and in the next second, she was at his side.

She let out a gasp of relief as she saw his chest rise and fall, though his breaths were shuddery.

"What has occurred?" Fate's voice rumbled, and she turned to see the sorcerer in the doorway, eyes wide.

"Klarion…" She trailed off.

"Has been defeated. He has returned to his own, personal dimension for now to lick his wounds."

"You have to help him!" She burst out, gesturing to Robin.

Fate nodded and came to them. He put his hands on Robin's wound and started to mutter a spell.

A few seconds later, his hands started to glow gold as Angel looked on fearfully.

But in the space of a few minutes, Robin's wound started to close. In another five, it was completely gone.

As Bluejay watched in amazement, all his wounds vanished, and his breathing returned to normal. Color flooded back to his face and he stirred.

Fate stopped, looking exhausted.

"I shall examine the bodies." He said before quickly floating to Grim Reaper's prone form.

Angel just stared, hoping.

His mask's eye-holes widened, and he turned to look at her.

"What happened?" He groaned.

Angel felt a sudden anger surge through her.

"You complete idiot!" She yelled at him. "What were you thinking?"

"I was trying to save your life." Robin said as he sat up.

"I could have gone without! You almost died!" She shrieked.

Then she did something that surprised them both.

She grabbed his face in her hands, pulled him towards her, and kissed him.

Robin seemed frozen in shock for a moment, but he soon relaxed and returned the kiss, his lips gentle against hers.

Her hands reached up to tousle his hair and they embraced for a few moments.

Angel was the one who broke it off, her face pink with embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I didn't mean to-"

But Robin had already pulled her against him again, arms wrapping around her.

"Don't you dare." He murmured softly against her hair.

Angel leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder, relief flooding her. Everything was alright.

Everything would be alright.

* * *

Nope, it's not finished yet! Still got a couple more chapters!

And even after that, I'll be making another YJ fanfic with her in it *wide grin*


	37. Chapter 37 Promise Me This

memmek10k, lol, yeah I think I've gotten a bit too fangirly over my own OC XD.

Airmage, yes, the kiss indeed ^^. To be honest, there were several times when I wanted to make it a bit earlier, and had to rein myself in lol.

OuterSpaceAngel, well, I might be putting a small preview in the next chappie, but I'm not sure.

Lilyblossom01, thanks, that really means a lot!

Fairfarren-Silvermist Fawn, ok, happy tears are fine XD.

sunflower13, lol!

Cosmic Mint, yeah, he's just so appealing XD. And what a great idea! I'll get the party stuff XD.

The February Rose, well I can't tell you any spoilers… But the next chapters here now!

* * *

After a few minutes, Robin and Bluejay broke their embrace to contact the Team and the League about their disappearances.

Before they did so, however, Doctor Fate called them over.

"I believe that whoever your enemy was, he wasn't human." He rumbled, his golden –clad hand gesturing the limp form of Grim Reaper.

Angel stepped forward, both curiosity and fear gnawing at her. Whatever Nabu was talking about certainly had a link with the villain's face.

She crouched down, her hand trembling as she reached forward. She shuddered slightly as her fingers came into contact with the thick, ripped up material of his cloak, but pulled it backwards all the same.

She gave a cry of horror and practically leaped back, her wings snapping ou and her feathers ruffling.

It was horrible. His skin was a pale blue, wrinkled and stretched tight over the face. Multiple scars crisscrossed over it, mutating the already ugly features. He had no eyes, instead having empty sockets which the skin reached into, and his mouth was nearly a slit. His nose was crushed, with small holes serving as nostrils.

Add that all together, and you got a very frightening image.

Angel felt her stomach turn and resisted the urge to retch. Glancing at Robin, she could tell that he felt the same as he stared at the figure in shock.

Nabu seemed unmoved, but that was usual for him.

"You should contact the Team and Batman," He told them in a monotone voice. "I shall do the same with the League. They can dispose of the bodies."

Angel glanced at Jack's still body, a wave of grief plunging through her.

"But I believe you might want this," Fate added suddenly, causing her to glance back at him.

He tossed something to her, and she automatically caught it. Looking down, she felt her throat tighten.

In her hands was a smooth wooden staff, still warm from when Jack had held it. She could even see the smooth grooves in the wood where he had used it so often that the material had become worn.

"Thank you." She whispered, her voice barely audible.

Robin took her free hand in his and squeezed. She looked at him and smiled sadly.

* * *

A few minutes later, Robin was wincing as Nightwing shouted into his ear.

Bluejay could tell that it was the Boy Wonder's adoptive older brother, even from here, and she felt a small thrill of sadness as she recalled when her older sister used to do the same when she stayed out late.

She would still grieve, but she had a new family now… And she had Robin.

Doctor Fate seemed to be having more luck with the Justice League. She could just hear him talking quietly to someone, but his voice was too low for her to discern any words.

"Well, he's almost here." Robin piped up fake-enthusiastically, his grin rueful.

Angel rolled her eyes and hugged him. It felt nice to just hold him, and not worry about anything. His arms wrapped around her, and rested his chin on the crown of her head.

From the contented sigh that emerged from him, she guessed that he felt the same.

"Well, this has been a heck of a day." She mumbled against his chest.

As he chuckled, she felt the vibrations rumble through him, resonating in his chest and hugged him tighter.

"Just promise me this," Robin said suddenly.

"Anything." The answer surprised her, but she felt that it was true. She would die for this boy if she had to.

"Don't _ever_ scare me like that again."

It was Angel's turn to laugh quietly, and she reached up on her toes to give him a quick peck on the lips.

She blushed slightly as she did so, but Robin seemed to enjoy it.

She snuggled closer into his chest, and murmured, "Promise."

He kissed the top of her head, and whispered her name against her hair.

She felt a shiver of pleasure go through her, and she felt him smile against her head.

"The League has been informed of what happened," Fate said as he walked over to them, causing the two to break apart, their faces red.

"Nightwing and Kid Flash are on their way as well." Robin said.

Angel sighed. "We have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

By the time the two heroes had arrived, scolded Robin, thanked Nabu and told Angel how relieved they were that she was alright, all five of them were exhausted.

Angel was on the verge of collapsing, causing Wally to quickly pick her up, proclaiming she was as light as a feather.

Nightwing just rolled his eyes, while Robin smiled ruefully.

In a matter of minutes, they were in the bioship and headed home.

"The Justice League will examine Grim Reaper's body, while Jack Everly will receive a proper funeral," Nightwing continued, summing up what would happen later.

Angel just nodded tiredly before closing her eyes and leaning against the seat. Despite being dead for little more than twenty-four hours, she was exhausted.

Soon, she was fast asleep.

Robin kept shooting her half-anxious looks, as if expecting her to disappear any second. Nightwing smiled at Tim's concern. He could guess what had happened between the two.

And as usual, Wally continued to speed-talk to nobody, as everyone was ignoring him.

* * *

Yeah, short chapter, and the second-to-last! But don't worry, I've got a sequel all planned out *huge grin*. To get you guys hyped, I'm just saying that a whole lot of the Team gets cursed…

And WHAT? YJ IS GOING ON HIATUS? UNTIL _SEPTEMBER_? NO!


	38. Chapter 38 Eyes Like Sky

Angel was gently shaken awake once they arrived at Mount Justice.

"W-what?" She mumbled, disoriented.

"We're home." Nightwing said, a smile on his face.

Once the foursome got out of the bioship, Angel was overwhelmed by everyone's greetings.

"You're alive!"

"See, I told you they were wrong!"

"Angel! It's so great to see you ok!"

"Superboy! Come see who just arrived!"

But the best was when Hawkwoman Zeta-Beamed to the Cave and swept her protégé up in a massive hug.

"Don't scare me like that again!" Shayera warned as she held Angel at arm's length, inspecting her to see that she was alright.

"Well, it's not like I had a choice." Angel chuckled, though there was a layer of stress and weariness underneath it.

Seeing how strained she was, Shayera told her to go to bed. Angel protested for a few minutes, but finally gave in, secretly relieved.

No one really noticed that she was still holding on tightly to Jack's staff.

* * *

Angel practically fell into bed, her eyes closing instantly as she hit the mattress. The night was calm, and no nightmares came to haunt her.

Several times, Nightwing and Hawkwoman came to check on her, but she seemed fine, so they left her.

A few hours after their return, Kid Flash, Artemis, Nightwing, Miss Martian, Aqualad and Superboy met up in the mission-room to discuss Grim Reaper with Shayera and Batman.

"We've conducted a few tests on the body." The Dark Knight said, his cape hiding his body as usual. "He doesn't seem to be human, and our best guesses are an alien, or a drastically mutated man. However, the first option seems unlikely, as neither Martian Manhunter, Superman nor our two Green Lanterns have ever seen such an alien before. We haven't found any leads on a human life either."

Nightwing frowned. "So… We don't know anything about him at all?"

"We don't even know if it was male, though the body structure suggests it." Shayera said.

"Well, since I couldn't read his mind when he was invading Angel's, I think he was probably an alien from a very far off planet with telepathic abilities, though how he arrived on Earth is beyond me." M'gann chipped in.

"So, what should we do?" Artemis asked.

"Nothing. Make sure Angel stays in a stable environment and don't mention the Grim Reaper to her. She's probably very fragile at the moment." Batman growled. "She doesn't need to know we're pursuing this case either, especially since so far it's been completely devoid of any info whatsoever."

The senior team members nodded in understanding.

Batman turned and swept off towards the Zeta Tubes.

"Well, he seems to be in a good mood." Wally remarked.

"Think about it," Artemis said. "His protégé just went to rescue a team member who we all thought was dead, and didn't know where he was. To top it all off, he doesn't know anything on a case. Of course he's gonna be grumpy."

Wally shrugged. "True, I guess."

M'gann sighed. "Well, I guess we should do what he says."

Nightwing nodded.

"We have to keep things normal, for her sake."

* * *

_Two weeks later…_

"Angel?"

"Mhm?"

Angel was flat on her back in civvies, staring up at the sky above her. Robin lay next to her, sunglasses on his nose as usual.

Nowadays, the couple often retreated to the small island Angel had found those

Life had returned to normal, and Angel was glad. No one talked about Grim Reaper, or Rogue for that matter, except for his funeral.

She had tried not to cry, but what could she do? He had spent his last moments saving her.

But Robin had supported her through all of it. He was the only thing she didn't want to go back to normal.

Nothing was more precious than the time they spent together for Angel, and she wanted it to stay that way.

"-Identity."

With a blush, she realized she had drifted off into dreamland.

"Sorry, Robin. Can you repeat that?" She mumbled, her cheeks still red.

But he just chuckled before getting serious again.

"I asked Batman if it was ok to tell you my secret identity."

Angel stared at him in shock. She knew that Batman was extremely strict about when it came to his family's secret identities. The fact that Robin had asked if he could reveal his to Angel was shocking to say the least, though the gesture touched her.

"So what did he say?" She asked.

Robin stared up at the sky for a few more instants, but Angel soon saw the way his mouth was twitching that he was resisting the urge to laugh.

She hit him, not too hard on the shoulder and started laughing herself.

"Tell me!"

Robin started cracking up at her reaction, but finally calmed himself down enough and said, "Well, as long as you don't reveal it to any Team members or villains, you should be safe."

Angel laughed again. "I think I can handle it."

Robin smiled, and placed his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, but they soon fluttered open again.

"So, can I actually see your eyes before you tell me who you are?" She asked with a grin.

"Go ahead Angel." Robin's smile faded, but he didn't look upset. Just… Serious.

Tentatively, almost hesitantly, Angel reached towards his face. Her fingers wavered in the air as she neared his sunglasses.

She didn't know why she was being so cautious. What was she expecting?

"It's alright." Robin breathed, his warm breath caressing her hand.

More confident now, she held one side of the dark shades gingerly, and slowly slid them off.

She took in a breath as her eyes fell upon his.

They were the most beautiful shade of blue, a mix between dark and light, an ocean and a pool of water. Now that she looked closer, they were the exact same shade as her feathers, and the sky above them. Framed by full lashes and paired with his raven-black hair, they were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. For a moment, she just stared, forgetting to breathe.

"Angel?" Robin asked anxiously, breaking her out of her daze. "You ok?"

She shook her head in an effort to clear it. "Yeah, it's just… Wow."

Robin chuckled, a blush spreading across his face as he ruffled his hair self-consciously.

"And I thought you were handsome _with_ the sunglasses." Angel added, a smile playing across her lips.

Robin laughed again, this time in relief. "Still up for my secret ID?"

"You bet."

"Well… My name's Timothy Drake, but you can call me Tim."

"Tim Drake." Angel said, the unfamiliar name rolling around her tongue. But she smiled as she realized how much she loved saying it. "You know, this may sound cliché, but it fits you."

"Really?" Ro-_Tim_ sounded surprised.

"Yea. I never would have pegged you as the 'John' or 'Peter' type." She joked.

Tim smiled at her, and she once again forgot how to breathe. Once she recalled her name, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

"I can't believe I was missing so much." She murmured.

Tim raised his hand and stroked her feathers lightly. "Me too."

"But then again, I'm not the one with the eyes like sky." She corrected, smiling.

"Well, you are gorgeous too." Tim said, a low chuckle rumbling through him.

"True." She said, pretending to be haughty. "There's no way you could compete with me beauty."

Tim laughed, before lifting her chin up to kiss her.

Once they came up for air, he finally murmured, "I love you."

Angel felt a thrill go through her at hearing him say those three little words.

"I love you too." She said before kissing him again.

* * *

Thought I should end it on a romantic note ^^. But do not fear, Angel will be seen again in my next fanfic, 'Simply Cursed' as one of the main characters!

And because I'm so nice, I'm putting a little preview for you guys underneath this author's note! Enjoy!

* * *

Wotan chuckled as he saw the assembled heroes before him.

"I see that your little Team has grown since I last saw you, Nightwing." The sorcerer said, his voice heavily accented.

Nightwing's hands tightened around his Eskrima sticks, electricity crackling at their ends.

"Alpha Squad, go!"

Like a huge tidal wave, the eight heroes launched themselves at Wotan.

But the Viking sorcerer yelled out a spell, and they all flew backwards as a giant explosion surged from him.

"You're not the only one who can use magic, Wotan!" Zatanna growled as she got up.

She opened her mouth to pronounce an incantation, but she was soon flying through the air once again and hit the wall with a sickening thud.

"Beasts, the lot of you." Wotan said in disgust.

But then his red and black eyes glimmered with interest. "That actually seems like a very accurate description…" He mused.

By now, the team had staggered to their feat, eyes gleaming with defiance.

Superboy and Wondergirl exchanged looks and nodded.

At the exact same time, they threw themselves at the sorcerer, fists raised.

But both Angel and Zatanna saw Wotan's mouth moving.

"No!" The sorceress cried, stepping forward with an outstretched hand.

But it was too late.

Wotan finished his spell, and a huge surge of magical energy flew at the Team. There was a loud explosion, and everything went black.

* * *

The first chapter should be up by tomorrow!


End file.
